HN  31  . 

B18 

Batten, 

Samuel 

Zane, 

1859- 

1925. 

Building  a 

community 

B3ZIS 


JUDSON  TRAINING  MANUALS 

FOR  THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  CHURCH 


EDITED  BY 

W.  EDWARD  RAFFETY,  Ph.  D. 

HENRY  EDWARD  TRALLE,  Th.  D. 

WILLIAM  E.  CHALMERS,  D.  D. 


BUILDING 
A    COMMUNITY 


By 
SAMUEL  ZANE  BATTEN,  D.  D. 

Author  of 

The  Christian  State,"  "  The  New  Citizenship," 
"  The  Social  Task  of  Christianity,"  etc. 


PHILADELPHIA 

THE    JUDSON    PRESS 

BOSTON  CHICAGO  ST.  LOUIS  LOS  ANGELES 

KANSAS  CITY  SEATTLE  TORONTO 


COPYRIGHT,    I922,    BY 

GILBERT  N.  BRINK,  Secretary 


Printed  in  U.  S.  A. 


TO 

THE    MEMORY    OF 
MY    FRIEND    AND    COMRADE 

WALTER   RAUSCHENBUSCH 

WHEN  HE  WAS  WITH  US  THERE  WAS 
NO  MAN  WHOSE  JUDGMENT  I  PRIZED 
MORE  HIGHLY.  NOW  THAT  HE  IS  IN 
THE  LAND  OF  LIGHT  I  LIKE  TO  FEEL 
THAT  WE  ARE  STILL  IN  SYMPATHETIC 
ACCORD 


EDITORS'  FOREWORD 

This  volume  is  one  in  a  series  of  texts  in  religious  edu- 
cation known  as  the  Judson  Training  Manuals  for  the 
School  of  the  Church. 

These  manuals  are  arranged  in  three  groups,  namely, 
general,  departmental,  and  parent-training.  The  general 
group  includes  vital  teaching,  story-telling,  educational 
evangelism,  expression  through  worship,  handwork,  com- 
munity service,  appreciation  of  the  Bible,  educational 
leadership,  and  kindred  worth-while  themes  in  the  field 
of  religious  education.  The  departmental  group  covers 
courses  for  every  department  of  the  school  of  the  church 
— Cradle  Roll,  Beginners',  Primary,  Junior,  etc.  The 
parent-training  manuals  emphasize  religion  in  the  home 
and  the  necessity  of  training  for  the  God-given,  heaven- 
blessed  privilege  of  parenthood. 

It  is  the  aim  of  these  manuals  to  popularize  the  as- 
sured results  of  the  best  psychology  and  pedagogy  and  to 
make  them  the  willing  and  efficient  servants  of  all  workers 
in  the  school  of  the  church. 

Both  the  editors  and  the  writers  want  these  books  "  to 
live  where  the  people  live  "  and  to  be  of  real  value  to  those 
forward-looking  folk  destined  to  be  the  leaders  in  re- 
ligious education. 


Editors'  Foreword 


To  this  end,  each  course  will  be  ( 1 )  simple  in  language, 
(2)  accurate  in  statement,  (3)  sound  in  psychology,  (4) 
vital  in  pedagogy,  (5)  concrete  in  treatment,  (6)  prac- 
tical in  purpose,  and  (7)   spiritual  in  tone. 

Dr.  Samuel  Zane  Batten,  the  author  of  this  volume, 
"  Building  a  Community,"  is  recognized  as  one  of  the 
outstanding  social  service  specialists  of  our  country  and 
of  the  world.  He  has  given  us  an  attractively  written, 
comprehensive,  constructive  treatment  of  the  social  duties 
and  principles  of  the  present-day  Christian. 

His  book  is  packed  full  of  vital,  practical  religion,  and 
points  the  way  to  a  Christianized,  socialized  community 
life  that  is  a  "heaven  on  earth."  It  is  sane,  spiritual, 
and  suggestive.  It  will  be  welcomed,  not  only  for  rapid 
reading,  but  for  use  as  a  text-book  in  teacher-training 
classes,  in  community  schools  of  religious  education,  and 
in  Sunday  school  classes  of  adults  or  young  people. 

The  Editors. 


AUTHOR'S  FOREWORD 

In  an  illuminating  article,  Josef  Hofmann  writes  on 
"How  Rubinstein  Taught  Me  to  Play."  He  records 
that  the  constant  charge  of  the  Master  was :  "  Before 
your  ringers  touch  the  keys  you  must  begin  the  piece 
mentally ;  that  is,  you  must  have  settled  in  your  mind  the 
tempo,  the  manner  of  touch,  and  above  all  the  attack  of 
the  first  notes,  before  your  actual  playing  begins." 

One  hope  of  the  Gospel  is  that  of  a  City  of  God  on 
earth.  The  Master  who  gave  men  this  hope  charged  men 
to  seek  first  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  its  righteousness. 
He  expected  his  people  to  adjust  life  on  the  basis  of 
God's  purpose  and  to  set  about  the  work  of  building  a 
Christian  type  of  human  society.  Therefore  we  ought  to 
expect  that  the  city  where  we  live  will  through  the  grace 
of  Christ  be  transformed  into  a  City  of  God;  and  we 
work,  and  we  ought  to  teach  men  to  work,  that  this  great 
purpose  may  be  realized. 

As  one  approaches  this  task  he  is  at  first  appalled  by 
its  magnitude  and  complexity.  But  the  more  he  studies 
the  task,  the  more  clearly  he  sees  that  it  is  at  bottom  a 
problem  of  human  minds  and  hearts  and  wills.  It  is 
a  question  of  social  knowledge  and  right  attitude  of  soul ; 


Author  s  Foreword 


a  willingness  to  pay  the  price  of  progress.  There  are 
many  people  in  the  churches  who  have  vision  and  aspira- 
tion and  really  want  to  serve  the  community.  But  many 
do  not  know  what  is  involved  in  a  single  question;  they 
do  not  know  where  to  begin  and  how  to  take  hold.  Other 
persons  are  looking  for  a  task  that  has  some  honor  but 
no  hard  work ;  they  are  reading  articles  and  going  to  con- 
ferences, hoping  that  some  day  they  may  be  given  a  plan 
that  is  guaranteed  to  solve  all  problems  and  save  the 
world  overnight,  without  any  one  lifting  a  burden  or 
carrying  a  cross.  Let  me  say  frankly  that  I  have  no 
such  patented  panacea  to  offer;  and  Jesus  himself  gave 
no  such  panacea.  The  only  way  he  knew  whereby 
the  world  was  to  be  saved  was  by  bearing  a  cross  and 
giving  himself  in  uttermost  service.  There  is  no  other 
way  under  heaven  revealed  to  men  than  this  way  of 
Christ. 

It  is  necessary  for  men  to  approach  this  task  with  some 
understanding  of  its  meaning  and  method.  They  need 
to  know  what  is  implied  in  the  Christian  ideal ;  they  must 
know  what  kind  of  a  community  they  propose  to  build; 
they  should  settle  in  their  minds  the  spirit  of  their  work, 
the  method  of  approach,  the  manner  of  touch.  In  other 
words,  as  they  set  about  the  work  of  community  building 
they  must  set  about  the  work  of  their  own  mental  and 
spiritual  preparation.  The  City  of  God  must  be  built 
within  men,  in  their  minds  and  hearts  and  wills,  before  it 


Author's  Foreword 


can  ever  be  a  visible  city  on  earth.  That  city  must  be  an 
ideal,  a  passion,  a  religion,  a  cause  that  claims  men's 
uttermost  devotion,  before  it  can  be  an  actuality  of  streets 
and  homes  and  people. 

This  little  manual  is  written  to  meet  this  need.  It  is 
intended  to  indicate  the  spirit,  the  method,  the  manner  in 
which  Christian  workers  are  to  approach  this  task  of 
community  building.  They  need  an  ideal  and  model  of 
the  city  that  is  to  be.  They  need  to  understand  the  social 
meaning  and  Kingdom  value  of  the  great  institutions  of 
life.  They  need  a  Christian  approach  to  the  problems  of 
community  life;  they  need  an  attitude  of  justice  and  a 
will  to  serve.  They  need  to  know  how  to  take  hold  of  a 
social  situation  and  to  see  what  are  the  forces  and  factors 
with  which  they  must  work. 

The  book  must  be  judged  by  the  purpose  it  has  in  view. 
It  cannot  discuss  in  detail  any  of  the  institutions  it  men- 
tions or  any  of  the  problems  it  defines.  But  it  does  aim 
to  show  students  how  to  approach  these  questions,  to 
suggest  some  of  the  causes  that  lie  behind  a  social  situa- 
tion, and  then  to  give  a  sense  of  direction  in  Christian 
effort  and  to  indicate  some  of  the  next  steps  in  com- 
munity redemption. 

The  volume  of  Christian  Revelation  closes  with  the 
vision  of  the  Holy  City  coming  down  to  earth.  Some- 
time, somewhere,  on  this  earth  of  ours  there  will  be  a 
city  that  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term  is  Christian.     To 


Author  s  Foreword 


live  and  serve  that  the  city  where  one  dwells  may  be  that 
city,  is  the  essence  of  religion  and  the  spirit  of  patriotism. 
To  prepare  oneself  by  study  and  effort  to  make  the  larg- 
est possible  contribution  to  community  building,  is  there- 
fore a  most  laudable  and  Christian  desire. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  The  Ideal  City 15 

II.  The  Church 30 

III.  The  Schools 47 

IV.  The  City  Government   62 

V.  Housing  and  Homes 75 

VI.  Industrial  Relations 90 

VII.  Play  and  Recreation 107 

VIII.  Disease  and  Health 122 

IX.  Poverty  and  Opportunity 139 

X.  Community  Ideals 154 


CHAPTER  I 
THE  IDEAL  CITY 

Man  is  by  nature  a  social  being.  Adapting  the  words 
of  Aristotle,  we  may  say  that  he  who  is  unfitted  for  social 
life  is  either  above  or  below  the  human  stage.  And  the 
whole  process  of  life  has  made  for  social  living.  View- 
ing this  process  in  the  light  of  results,  we  see  that  from 
the  beginning  it  has  been  training  men  in  the  art  of  living 
together. 

Many  causes  have  driven  men  together;  the  need  of 
combining  in  order  to  resist  their  enemies ;  the  necessity 
of  cooperation  in  order  to  accomplish  the  task  of  conquer- 
ing nature ;  the  crowding  together  due  to  the  increase  of 
population.  But  many  things  also  have  drawn  men  to- 
gether ;  an  instinct  for  fellowship ;  a  consciousness  of 
kind;  the  advantages  that  are  found  in  cooperation. 
Through  all  the  generations  of  the  past  these  causes  have 
been  at  work;  they  are  at  work  today,  and  so  far  as  we 
can  see  they  will  continue  to  work  till  the  end  of  time. 

IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  CITY 

1.  Adapted  to  Men's  Needs 

Man  is  becoming  a  community  being,  and  more  and 
more  the  one  man  is  becoming  dependent  upon  com- 
munity life.  For  an  indefinite  future  a  large  proportion 
of  the  people  will  live  in  communities  large  and  small. 

15 


16  Building  a  Community 


It  is  necessary,  therefore,  that  this  community  life  be 
made  wholesome,  healthful,  sweet,  and  moral.  Unless 
this  be  done  there  inevitably  will  follow  physical  and 
mural  degeneracy.  Life  is  a  matter  of  relationships,  and 
the  advance  of  life  is  the  adjustment  of  relations. 

Society  is  becoming  more  complex,  which  means  tJiat 
the  relations  of  men  are  multiplying  and  life  is  becoming 
more  inter-related.  It  is  necessary  that  the  relations  of 
men  in  modern  society  be  so  adjusted  as  to  produce  the 
maximum  of  security  and  justice,  of  happiness  and  peace, 
with  a  minimum  of  waste  and  friction,  of  disease  and 
danger.  An  important  part  of  the  program  of  the  King- 
dom is  included  in  the  work  of  building  a  Christian  type 
of  community  life. 

In  this  study  we  are  concerned  with  the  Christian  pro- 
gram in  its  bearing  upon  community  building.  By  a 
community  we  mean  a  group  of  persons  living  together, 
having  common  interests,  coming  into  relations  with  one 
another,  and  united  in  some  form  of  organization.  As 
such  the  community  includes  the  common  interests  of 
the  people,  such  as  churches,  schools,  stores,  transporta- 
tion; it  is  a  field  for  all  the  forces  that  play  in  human 
life,  religious,  social,  political;  it  includes  all  of  the  or- 
ganization with  which  men  combat  vice  and  crime,  dis- 
ease and  misery ;  and  it  covers  all  the  agencies  through 
which  the  people  promote  the  happiness,  health,  progress, 
and  well-being  of  all. 

The  term  community,  it  may  be  said,  is  used  in  a  gen- 
eral sense  without  any  reference  to  the  size  of  the  place 
or  the  number  of  people.  The  problems  of  the  large  city 
differ  somewhat  from  those  of  the  small  town ;  the  needs 
are  different  and  the  line  of  approach  is  somewhat  dif- 


The  Ideal  City  17 


ferent.  And  yet  at  bottom  communities  are  much  alike 
in  many  respects ;  there  are  certain  constant  and  irreduc- 
ible needs,  and  these  must  be  met  in  much  the  same  way. 

2.  Prominent  in  Bible 

One  of  the  oldest  stories  of  the  race  states  that  Cain 
after  the  murder  of  his  brother  "  went  out  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  " — mark  that  expression — "  and 
built  a  city."  The  race  has  kept  up  that  tradition 
quite  faithfully  ever  since.  Too  often  the  cities  have 
been  built  by  men  of  force  and  greed,  and  too  often 
they  have  been  ungodly  and  murderous  things,  destroy- 
ing at  once  the  physical  and  moral  life  of  the  people. 
The  time  has  come  for  the  men  of  good  will  to  break 
this  tradition  and  set  to  work  to  lay  the  streets  in 
wisdom  and  to  build  the  walls  in  love,  that  thus  the 
City  of  God  may  appear  on  earth.  What  must  we  do 
to  attain  this  end  ?  And  where  shall  we  begin  ?  Three 
things  are  essential.  We  need  an  ideal  of  a  city,  a 
model  after  which  we  shall  plan  our  community.  We 
need  a  program,  that  we  may  work  in  an  effective  way. 
We  need  to  have  some  idea  of  the  agencies  and  means 
through  which  we  are  to  work. 

The  race,  according  to  the  Scriptures,  began  its 
course  in  a  garden.  But  the  story  of  the  race  cul- 
minates in  a  city.  "  I  saw  a  city,"  says  John,  "  I  saw 
the  Holy  City,  the  New  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from 
God  out  of  heaven."  It  is  a  city  into  which  nothing 
enters  that  defiles,  that  works  abomination  or  makes 
a  lie.  In  that  City  men  serve  God,  they  see  his  face, 
and  his  name  is  on  their  foreheads ;  there  men  reign 
with  Christ  forever  and  ever.     In  that  City  men  hold 

B 


18  Building  a  Community 

fellowship  with  God,  and  in  that  City  they  live  in 
loving-  and  brotherly  fellowship  with  one  another.  In 
that  City  no  one  goes  hungry  and  no  one  is  trodden 
under  foot.  In  that  City  there  is  nothing  to  hurt  or 
affright  men,  and  the  gates  of  the  City  need  not  be 
shut  at  all  by  night.  In  that  City  the  strength  of  each  is 
held  in  trust  for  the  good  of  all.  And  the  blessings  of 
that  City  are  accessible  to  the  men  of  all  nations  and 
conditions  and  experiences,  for  there  are  three  gates  on 
each  side  of  the  Holy  City. 

The  City  of  God  interprets  the  purpose  of  God  in 
our  humanity.  The  Apocalypse  is  a  book  of  light,  and 
not  of  darkness.  It  is  a  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
his  redeeming  power.  It  is  a  disclosure  in  our 
humanity  of  the  redemptive  purpose  of  God  and  the 
result  of  that  redemption  in  a  transformed  earth.  For 
this  reason  the  book  does  not  attempt  to  give  us  a 
chronology  of  history,  and  to  use  it  that  way  is  to  miss 
its  larger  meaning.  It  does,  however,  indicate  the 
lines  along  which  the  purpose  of  God  is  moving,  with 
the  assurance  that  his  purpose  shall  be  realized.  It  does 
not  attempt  to  run  a  line  between  what  we  call  the 
present  and  the  future;  least  of  all  does  it  attempt  to 
run  a  line  between  what  we  call  heaven  and  earth.  The 
Holy  City  is  a  double  picture ;  it  is  at  once  the  revelation 
of  the  redeemed  society  now  on  earth,  and  it  is  a  prophecy 
of  the  glory  of  this  people  in  its  eternal  home.  The 
vision,  however,  belongs  quite  as  much  to  the  present  as 
to  the  future;  it  indicates  the  line  along  which  the  pur- 
pose of  God  is  moving ;  we  see  something  of  the  meaning 
of  that  purpose  here ;  but  the  lines  reach  on  into  the 
future  and  sweep  beyond  our  sight. 


The  Ideal  City  19 


The  City  of  God  is  realised  on  earth.  In  these  chap- 
ters John  is  not  giving  us  a  description  of  heaven,  the  far- 
away home  of  the  soul,  not  primarily  at  any  rate.  He 
is  describing  a  city  on  earth.  The  city  comes  from  God, 
but  it  is  realized  among  men.  Wherever  we  find  a  city, 
on  this  earth,  on  some  far-off  star,  it  is  God's  will  that  it 
shall  be  this  kind  of  a  city.  We  may  say  that  the  New 
Jerusalem  is  like  a  city  built  on  both  sides  of  a  river. 
But  the  important  thing  for  us  just  now  is  that  the  City 
of  God  comes  on  this  earth. 

3.  Chief  Concern  of  Christianity 

The  making  of  a  Christian  city  is  the  purpose  of  Chris- 
tianity. A  city  is  a  community  of  people  living  close 
together,  having  many  interests  in  common,  cooperating 
toward  certain  ends,  and  learning  how  to  live  together. 
The  city,  it  is  evident,  is  the  people,  and  not  streets  and 
houses.  We  need  to  keep  the  perspective  of  Scripture 
and  see  divine  truth  in  its  relations. 

The  purpose  of  Christ  is  not  individual  alone,  but  social 
also.  He  comes  to  save  men  that  they  may  become  chil- 
dren in  God's  family  and  serve  in  his  Kingdom.  He 
does  not  save  men  out  of  relations,  but  in  relations.  The 
central  idea  of  Christianity  is  the  Kingdom  of  God ;  and 
this  Kingdom  in  Christ's  conception  never  means  any- 
thing less  than  a  divine  human  society  on  earth.  It 
means  more  than  that,  for  while  the  Kingdom  begins 
here  it  does  not  end  here;  but  it  never  means  anything 
less  than  that. 

We  may  say  that  the  purpose  of  God  means  righteous 
men  in  a  righteous  society.  The  City  of  God  on  earth 
means  nothing  less  than  the  realization  in  our  world  of  a 


20  Building  a  Community 


divine  type  of  human  society.  The  purpose  of  Christ 
in  the  life  of  men  is  not  fulfilled  when  one  is  rescued 
from  sin  and  made  an  heir  of  life;  it  is  fulfilled  only 
when  humanity  itself  is  redeemed  in  all  its  parts  and  har- 
monious in  all  its  processes  with  the  will  of  God. 

THE  DIVINE  IDEAL      . 

In  the  visions  of  John  we  have  God's  ideal  of  a  city ; 
we  have  a  statesman's  vision  of  a  city.  We  grant  that 
the  language  is  highly  figurative  and  symbolic.  Yet 
behind  all  this  drapery  of  symbol  there  are  some  great 
realities.  As  we  look  through  these  figures  the  clear  out- 
lines of  a  city  begin  to  appear.  A  few  of  the  character- 
istics of  this  city  may  be  noted.  Keep  in  mind  this  truth  ; 
that  John  is  describing  a  city,  a  real  city  on  earth;  any 
city  as  God  wants  it  to  be,  every  city  as  it  shall  become 
through  the  power  of  Christ. 

1.  Beautiful 

It  is  a  beautiful  city.  God  loves  beauty,  and  that  is  the 
reason  why  he  made  the  rose  and  paints  the  evening  sky. 
This  is  the  reason  also  why  in  his  kind  of  a  city  every- 
thing is  beautiful  and  attractive.  "  I  saw  the  Holy 
City  .  .  .  made  ready  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband." 
The  language  of  the  seer  is  heavy  with  metaphors  as  he 
tries  to  describe  the  glory  of  the  city.  How  it  flashes  like 
a  diadem  of  jewels ;  it  glows  with  the  very  glory  of  the 
throne  and  the  very  beauty  of  the  divine.  We  have 
warrant  therefore  for  loving  beauty  and  planning  for  it 
in  our  cities.  We  have  no  right  to  disfigure  God's  fair 
earth  with  these  blemishes  we  call  cities. 


The  Ideal  City  21 


2.  Clean 

• 

This  City  of  God  is  clean ;  clean  physically  and  morally. 
What  is  one  of  the  things  that  oppresses  one  in  these 
cities  of  earth?  It  is  the  uncleanness  of  them  all.  If 
cleanliness  is  next  akin  to  godliness  these  cities  are  dread- 
fully ungodly,  for  they  are  sinfully  unclean.  Wash  you, 
make  you  clean  is  good  counsel  for  people  and  for  cities. 
Then  it  is  also  clean  morally ;  for  out  of  it  have  been  cast 
the  things  that  defile,  that  work  abomination  and  make  a 
lie.  And  at  the  gates  are  stationed  angels — that  is,  mes- 
sengers— to  stand  on  guard  and  exclude  the  evil. 

3.  Democratic 

In  this  City  of  God  no  one  is  disinherited,  unprivileged, 
or  trodden  under  foot.  "  They  all  had  right  to  the  Tree 
of  Life  "  in  the  very  midst  of  the  city.  The  tree  of  life 
represents  the  best  things  in  life,  the  provision  God  has 
made  to  meet  our  need.  In  these  cities,  alas,  many  chil- 
dren live  in  the  shadow  and  have  no  real  opportunity. 
Many  people  come  into  a  world  where  they  are  not 
wanted ;  they  live  in  our  world  poor  and  meager  lives, 
shut  away  from  the  best  things ;  and  they  die  out  of  our 
world  without  really  having  lived  at  all.  Yet  it  is  not 
the  will  of  the  Father  who  is  in  heaven  that  one  of  his 
little  ones  should  perish.  Just  so  far  as  we  realize  this 
condition  in  our  cities  do  they  become  cities  of  God. 

But  let  us  not  narrow  the  meaning  of  this  blessing. 
Bread  for  all  and  opportunity  for  every  life  are  neces- 
sary ;  and  we  must  never  rest  till  these  are  secured.  Yet 
we  need  to  remember  that  there  are  other  and  more 
spiritual  blessings.    There  are  many  good  things  in  life 


22  B  u  ilding  a  Com  mun  ity 

besides  bread  and  opportunity.  "  We  live  by  Admiration, 
Hope,  and  Love."  Men,  all  men,  need  these  more  real 
and  yet  less  tangible  goods  of  life.  They  need  education 
sufficient  to  develop  their  powers  and  enable  them  to 
make  the  most  of  themselves.  They  need  recreation 
enough  to  give  their  bodies  rest  and  their  souls  free  scope. 
They  need  good  books,  good  music,  beautiful  pictures, 
and  noble  buildings,  the  opportunity  to  enjoy  the  trees,  to 
behold  the  mountains,  to  walk  amid  the  flowers,  to  watch 
the  silent,  far-off  stars.  "  If  I  had  two  loaves  of  bread," 
said  Mohammed,  "  I  would  sell  one  and  buy  a  hyacinth 
to  feed  my  soul."  We  need  not  hesitate  to  plan  for 
beauty  in  our  cities,  provided  only  it  be  common  beauty 
and  does  not  minister  to  selfish  pride. 

4.  Beneficent 

"  The  streets  of  the  city  were  of  pure  gold  like  unto 
transparent  glass."  In  these  chapters  John  is  not  dealing 
primarily  with  the  style  of  paving  and  the  material  of 
walls.  He  has  some  larger  and  higher  purpose  than  this. 
In  all  the  ages  man  has  loved  gold  and  has  lived  for  it. 
In  our  present  society  gold  is  on  the  throne  and  man  is 
in  the  place  of  servitude.  Often  one  hears  it  said  that 
human  life  is  the  cheapest  thing  in  our  modern  cities; 
and,  alas,  there  are  too  many  evidences  that  this  is  the 
case.  In  New  Jersey  a  child  was  run  over  and  killed  by 
a  trolley  car;  the  parents  brought  suit  and  the  judge 
awarded  damages  of  one  dollar;  he  said  that  was  all  a 
child  was  worth.  Now  a  fairly  respectable  sheep  is 
worth  about  ten  dollars.  How  much  then  is  a  sheep  bet- 
ter than  a  child  in  our  present  cities?  But  the  time  is 
coming  when  this  inversion  of  values  will  end ;  then  gold 


The  Ideal  City  23 


will  go  down  under  foot  as  the  pavement  of  the  city  and 
man  will  come  to  his  throne  and  be  served  by  these  things. 
Some  day  our  cities  will  hold  their  resources  of  gold  and 
property  as  servants  of  man.  Thus  far  gold  has  been 
coveted  by  man  and  has  been  made  the  instrument  of 
pride  and  greed.  This  is  not  the  meaning  of  gold,  and 
the  time  is  coming  when  it  shall  find  its  true  place. 
Wealth  will  never  find  its  true  meaning  till  it  serves  com- 
mon weal.  Gold  will  never  find  its  true  place  till  it 
ceases  to  minister  to  personal  pride  and  greed  and  be- 
comes the  servant  and  helper  of  all. 

5.  Great  Souls 

In  this  city  man  comes  to  his  full  stature.  "  I  saw  an 
angel  measuring  the  wall  of  the  city  with  a  reed  accord- 
ing to  the  measure  of  a  man,  that  is  of  an  angel."  The 
city  is  for  man  and  it  is  great  and  beautiful.  If  we  have 
great  cities  we  want  great  men.  But,  alas,  our  cities  of 
earth  are  full  of  weak,  stunted,  and  sickly  men.  This 
vision  of  John  is  a  prophecy  of  man.  Some  time  man 
shall  come  to  his  full  stature  and  shall  be  truly  man. 
No  one  of  us  has  ever  seen  a  man ;  we  have  seen  only  a 
hint  and  suggestion  of  a  man.  Here  and  there  we  find 
a  few  lives  growing  taller  than  the  run  of  men  and 
suggesting  some  of  the  upward  possibilities  of  our 
nature. 

In  every  human  life  there  are  possibilities  far  beyond 
anything  that  is  now  realized.  In  every  human  brain 
there  are  millions  of  unused  cells ;  and  these  many  cells 
that  are  not  used  have  as  great  possibilities  of  thought 
and  of  power  as  the  few  cells  that  are  used.  But,  ah  me, 
the  time  is  coming  when  tall  men  shall  live  in  a  great  city ; 


24  Building  a  Community 

then  men,  all  men,  shall  grow  tall  and  attain  unto  the 
measure  of  the  stature  of  Christ  Jesus.  The  time  is 
coming — may  it  hasten  on — when  no  city  will  boast  of  its 
warehouses  and  monuments,  but  will  find  its  highest 
pride  in  its  great-souled  men  and  its  bright-eyed  children. 

6.  Child-centered 

"  The  streets  of  the  city  were  full  of  boys  and  girls 
playing  in  the  broad  places  thereof."  It  is  Zechariah 
who  gives  us  this  item,  but  he  is  in  the  prophetic  succes- 
sion and  is  talking  about  this  same  city.  And  in  some 
ways  this  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  touches  of  all.  In 
these  cities  of  earth  children  are  not  wanted  and  little 
provision  is  made  for  them.  You  want  to  rent  a  house 
in  one  of  our  cities  and  the  first  question  will  be,  "  How 
many  children  ?  "  We  make  provision  in  our  cities  for 
great  factories,  for  speedways,  for  automobiles ;  but,  alas, 
we  give  the  child  no  chance  to  play  and  to  be  a  child.  Some 
time  ago  a  little  boy  was  brought  before  a  judge  in  New 
York  for  the  awful  crime  of  playing  ball  in  the  street. 
"  Boy,  don't  you  know  what  the  streets  are  for?  "  thun- 
dered the  judge.  When  the  little  fellow  could  catch  his 
breath  to  answer,  he  said,  "Yes,  sir,  they  are  for  auto- 
mobiles. "  We  have  actually  stolen  the  land  away  from 
the  child  for  automobiles  and  warehouses  and  have 
cheated  him  out  of  his  sacred  right  to  play. 

Some  day  we  will  set  the  child  in  the  midst  of  our  city ; 
and  will  then  plan  and  build  our  cities  and  our  churches 
around  the  child  and  for  the  sake  of  the  child.  I  like 
that  saying  from  the  Talmud :  "  The  world  is  to  be  saved 
by  the  laughter  of  school  children."  In  the  city  that  is 
to  be,  the  child  will  have  his  place;  and  the  whole  city 


The  Ideal  City  25 


shall  be  full  of  boys  and  girls  playing  in  the  playgrounds 
thereof. 

7.  Brotherly 

Many  other  characteristics  of  this  city  might  be  noted. 
For  one  thing,  in  this  city  men  live  together  as  a  family 
and  think  of  themselves  as  brothers.  In  this  city  men 
bear  the  stamp  of  God  upon  their  very  foreheads;  they 
serve  God  and  serve  one  another.  In  this  city  justice  is 
done  and  peace  prevails.  In  this  city  the  causes  of  dis- 
ease and  death  are  destroyed,  for  these  things  belong  to 
the  old  past.  These  and  many  other  characteristics  may 
be  noted ;  but  these  are  sufficient  for  our  purpose. 

THE  BUILDING  OF  THE  CITY 

Why  are  we  given  this  vision  of  the  Holy  City?  Is 
it  that  we  may  sit  down  and  dream  of  that  happy  land 
far,  far  away?  Is  it  that  we  may  revel  in  the  glories 
of  heaven,  the  final  home  of  the  soul?  It  may  mean 
that,  but  that  is  not  the  message  of  this  vision.  It  is 
given  to  us  rather  for  our  inspiration  and  guidance  here 
and  now.  In  these  chapters  we  have  a  model  and  pattern 
for  the  cities  we  are  to  build. 

1.  Faith  and  Work 

It  is  for  us  to  go  out  into  the  community  where  we 
live  and  build  our  city  after  the  pattern  shown  us  in  the 
Book.  We  pray  that  God's  name  may  be  hallowed,  that 
his  Kingdom  may  come,  his  will  be  done — in  Philadelphia 
as  in  heaven.  But  what  we  pray  for  we  are  under  obli- 
gation to  work  for.     Every  man  who  has  the  vision  of 


26  Building  a  Community 

a  City  of  God  has  the  hope  of  a  City  of  God  on  earth; 
he  is  therefore  called  to  live  and  pray,  to  plan  and  build, 
that  the  city  where  he  lives  may  be  transformed  into  a 
City  of  God. 

This  vision  bids  us  cherish  the  hope  of  a  City  of  God 
in  our  community.  A  City  of  God  coming  down  to  earth 
is  what  John  saw ;  and  a  Holy  City  on  earth  is  what  we 
confidently  expect.  We  expect,  we  ought  to  expect,  we 
are  charged  by  the  Gospel  of  Christ  to  expect,  the  dawn 
of  a  new  social  order,  the  coming  of  a  regenerate 
humanity,  the  realization  of  a  purified  society,  the  actual 
transformation  of  the  cities  of  the  world  into  Cities  of 
God.  The  City  that  John  saw,  the  City  that  we  expect, 
is  none  other  than  the  city  where  we  live,  as  it  might  be, 
as  God  wants  it  to  be,  as  it  some  day  shall  be.  "  Survey 
the  cities  of  the  world  today,"  says  Professor  Drummond, 
"  survey  your  own  city,  town,  village,  home ;  and 
prophesy." 


2.  Aim  and  Motive 

The  vision  of  the  Holy  City  shows  very  clearly  the 
work  we  have  to  do.  Men  sometimes  complain  that 
Christianity  is  a  vague  thing,  far  removed  from  the  real 
work-a-day  life  of  men.  To  this  day  in  a  large  part  of 
Christendom  the  majority  of  people  live  and  die  in  the 
delusion  that  religion  has  to  do  with  churches  and  Sun- 
days, with  priests  and  places ;  they  do  not  see  that  it  is  a 
real,  human,  every-day  thing  and  has  to  do  with  the  most 
real  and  practical  interests  of  men.  The  Son  of  man 
claims  all  life  for  God ;  and  the  man  who  knows  Christ 
does  everything  in  his  name  and  for  his  ends.  He  seeks 
the  Kingdom  of  God,  not  as  something  apart  from  life,  but 


The  Ideal  City  27 


as  something  in  life.  He  does  all  things  in  the  name  of 
Christ,  all  things  in  his  store  and  in  his  politics  as  well 
as  in  his  church  and  prayer-meeting.  The  whole  round 
of  life  is  to  be  filled  with  the  thought  of  Christ ;  and  the 
whole  work  of  life  is  to  be  done  for  his  ends.  The  work 
of  the  Christian  discipleship  is  as  plain  as  daylight. 
To  build  cities,  better  cities,  Christian  cities,  that  for  the 
present  is  the  work  of  the  Christian  brotherhood.  To 
work  for  the  redemption  of  society  is  a  very  definite  task, 
and  to  this  task  we  are  squarely  committed  in  the  Gospel 
of  the  Kingdom. 

The   Christ  has  come  to  reveal  the  purpose  of  the 
Father  and  to  give  men  the  hope  of  a  Kingdom  of  God. 
But  it  may  be  noted  that  he  depends  upon  men  to  carry 
forward  this  purpose ;  the  faithful  witness  and  loving  ser- 
vice of  men  are  the  means  he  uses ;  and  he  never  recog- 
nized any  other  means  or  agencies.    "  I  have  chosen  you 
and  ordained  you,  that  you  should  go  and  bring  forth 
fruit,  and  that  your  fruit  should  remain  "  (John  15  :  16). 
He  chose  twelve  men  that  they  might  be  with  him  and 
that  he  might  send  them  out  on  his  errands.     In  all  his 
teaching  he  relies  upon  men  in  the  work  of  the  Kingdom. 
He  says  that  men  are  the  salt  of  the  earth  and  the  light 
of  the  world.    He  says  the  good  seed  are  the  children  of 
the  Kingdom.     He  depends  upon  men,  and  not  upon 
angels,  to  be  his  witnesses  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth. 
Redeemed  men  are  to  build  redeemed  cities.    Regener- 
ated men  are  to  be  the  regenerators  of  society.      The 
Divine  City  is  to  be  built  by  people.     It  is  not  to  be  built 
by  angels.     It  is  not  to  be  built  by  some  magic  power 
that  works  over  the  heads  of  men.     It  is  a  city  of  people, 
of  living  men  and  women,  and  it  must  come  in  people 


28  Building  a  Community 

and  through  people.     It  is  essential  that  we  get  this  truth 
clearly  in  mind. 

The  City  comes  from  God ;  he  is  its  source  and  inspira- 
tion. But  it  comes  among  men  and  is  to  be  built  by  men. 
The  city  does  not  drop  out  of  the  skies ;  and  it  does  not 
grow  up  without  our  effort.  God  builds  his  city  in  men 
and  through  men.  The  building  of  the  city  goes  forward 
as  fast  and  as  far  as  men  enter  into  God's  plan  and  do 
his  work.  His  city  is  delayed  when  men  are  unwilling 
and  disobedient.  It  has  been  so  from  the  beginning  and 
it  will  be  so  to  the  end  of  the  chapter.  The  knowledge  of 
the  world  has  never  been  poured  upon  it  in  floods  of  light, 
but  men  have  had  to  dig  for  it  as  for  hid  treasure.  The 
progress  of  society  has  not  been  achieved  by  chance ;  but 
men  have  had  to  cut  down  the  forests,  level  the  hills,  take 
up  stumbling-blocks,  and  pay  the  price  of  progress.  If 
some  evil  is  to  be  withstood  and  cast  out  of  the  city, 
courageous  men  must  step  up  and  destroy  the  evil.  If 
parks  are  to  be  provided  and  the  city  made  attractive, 
men  of  vision  and  devotion  must  live  for  these  ends. 
God  works  in  men,  the  city  comes  through  men.  Men 
are  here  to  do  God's  will  and  to  get  it  done.  Men  are 
called  to  be  both  subjects  and  builders  of  the  Kingdom. 
Regenerate  men  are  to  be  centers  of  regenerating  power. 
Christian  men  are  to  set  about  the  work  of  building  a 
Christian  city.  God  never  does  for  men  what  men  can 
do  for  themselves.  And  men  are  never  given  an  impos- 
sible task.  Men  cherish  the  hope  of  a  city  of  God  on 
earth.  Then  a  City  of  God  can  be  built  as  men  want  it 
built.  Then  men  are  good  in  so  far  as  they  serve  the 
city  and  make  it  more  Christian. 


The  Ideal  City  29 


FOR  CLASS  USE 

1.  What  is  the  strongest  proof  of  the  truth  of  the  state- 
ment that  "man  is  by  nature  a  social  being"? 

2.  Give  five  reasons  why  the  individual  of  today  is  less 
independent  than  the  individual  of  fifty  years  ago  in  the 
United  States. 

3.  Is  the  individual's  decrease  in  independence  an  ad- 
vantage or  a  disadvantage  to  himself  and  others?     Why? 

4.  Give  a  scriptural  argument  other  than  that  given  in 
this  chapter  for  the  building  of  a  city  of  God  on  earth. 

5.  Criticize  the  author's  definition  of  a  city.  Do  you 
like  it?     Why? 

6.  Which  of  the  author's  seven  characteristics  of  a  city 
of  God  on  earth  do  you  regard  as  the  most  important? 
Why? 

7.  Discuss  the  author's  most  significant  statement  in 
the  last  two  pages  of  this  chapter. 

8.  References :  Drummond,  "  The  City  Without  a 
Church  " ;  Ely,  "  The  Coming  City  " ;  Strong,  "  The  Next 
Great  Awakening " ;  Robinson,  "  The  Improvement  of 
Towns  and  Cities";  Follett,  "The  New  State";  Ward, 
"  Social  Ministry,"  Chapter  XII,  by  F.  M.  North. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  CHURCH 

"  I  saw  no  temple  therein,"  said  John.  "  The  future 
city  will  be  without  a  church,"  says  Professor  Drum- 
mond.  "  Ponder  that  fact,  realize  the  temporariness  of 
the  church,  then  go  and  build  one."  For  the  present  at 
least,  the  most  important  institution  in  the  community 
is  the  church.  Yet  the  church  is  Christian  in  so  far  as 
it  loses  itself  in  the  community,  and  is  successful  as  it 
makes  itself  unnecessary. 

There  are  four  great  institutions  that  are  found  in  all 
civilized  communities.    These  are  the  Church,  the  Family, 
the  State,  and  Industry.     They  all  grow  out  of  the  essen- 
tial life  of  man  and  are  so  many  means  through  which 
they  express  their  common  life.     They  are  so  many  ex- 
periments in  the  art  of  living  together  and  so  many  steps 
by  which  men  climb  the  ascent  of  progress.     They  are 
so  many  realms  of  the  Kingdom's  reign  and  so  many 
means  of  the  Kingdom's  advance.    Each  has  its  distinctive 
form  of  organization ;  each  works  in  its  own  way ;  yet  one 
and  all  they  serve  the  same  Kingdom  and  represent  essen- 
tial Kingdom  values ;  each  is,  or  should  be,  Christian,  and 
no  one  can  claim  priority.    As  the  sunlight,  which  floods 
the  heavens  and  brightens  the  earth,  seeks  to  get  itself 
reborn  into  the  rosebush  and  the  wheat-field ;  so  the  life 
of  that  Kingdom  seeks  to  get  itself  incarnated  in  human 
lives  and  realized  in  social  institutions. 
30 


The  Church  31 


THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  COMMUNITY 

The  Kingdom  of  God  is  an  ideal  hovering  over  the 
actual  life  of  the  world.  But,  like  every  ideal  with 
vitality  and  power,  it  ever  seeks  incarnation  and  expres- 
sion in  human  lives  and  social  institutions.  In  what  we 
call  the  church  we  have  an  institution  in  which  the  life 
of  the  Kingdom  finds  expression  and  through  which  it 
realizes  its  purpose.  It  is  true  that  the  church  is  not  the 
Kingdom,  but  is  only  one  of  the  expressions  and  institu- 
tions of  the  Kingdom.  The  Family,  the  State,  and  In- 
dustry— to  limit  ourselves  to  the  primary  institutions  of 
life — are  also  intended  to  be  institutions  of  the  Kingdom 
and  the  means  of  its  advance.  None  the  less,  the  church 
for  the  present  is  a  most  important  institution  and  must 
have  a  proper  place  in  our  program.  Several  things  with 
reference  to  the  church  and  its  meaning  may  be  noted. 

1.  Expresses  Kingdom  Life 

In  the  church  the  life  of  the  Kingdom  finds  expres- 
sion and  realization.  In  the  church  the  great  prin- 
ciples of  the  Kingdom  find  acceptance  and  illustration. 
In  the  church  the  law  and  life  of  the  Kingdom  receive 
loyal  obedience  and  active  imitation.  In  the  church 
the  righteousness  and  love  of  the  Kingdom  appear  in 
thought  and  act.  Through  the  church  the  world  may 
learn  the  nature  of  the  Kingdom.  Through  its  life  and 
service  the  great  characteristics  of  the  Kingdom,  right- 
eousness, peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  revealed 
in  their  beauty  if  not  in  their  perfection.  The  church  is 
called  to  repeat  and  continue  the  wonder  and  glory  of  the 
Incarnation. 


32  Building  a  Community 

■  i  ■ 

2.  Witnesses  to  Kingdom  Reality 

The  church  is  here  to  witness  for  the  reality  of  the 
Kingdom.  In  all  times  there  has  been  a  disposition  to 
relegate  the  Kingdom  to  some  other  sphere  or  some  far 
distant  time.  But  God  is  now  King  and  his  Kingdom 
is  an  eternal  reality.  "  Thine  is  the  Kingdom,  and  the 
power,  and  the  glory  forever,"  men  say  whenever  they 
offer  the  Master's  prayer.  That  Kingdom  is  a  present 
reality  and  by  its  standards  all  things  are  to  be  tested  and 
rated.  "  The  Kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand."  Then  we 
do  not  have  to  make  terms  with  some  other  Kingdom  in 
order  to  live.  We  do  not  have  to  postpone  a  single  bless- 
ing or  reference  to  some  other  time  or  place.  "  The 
Kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand."  Then  the  church  must 
live  in  that  conviction  itself  and  must  teach  men  so  to 
live.  Every  blessing  of  the  Kingdom  and  every  promise 
of  God  is  to  be  realized  here  and  now.  It  is  only  the 
unbelief  and  blindness  of  men  that  cheat  them  out  of  the 
blessings  of  the  Kingdom  or  lead  them  to  postpone  its 
promises.  The  church  as  the  institution  of  the  King- 
dom must  make  men  realize  the  reality  and  power  of  the 
Kingdom. 

3.  Reveals  Kingdom  Spirituality 

The  church  in  its  life  reveals  the  spiritual  foundations 
of  human  society.  In  this,  of  course,  the  church  is  only 
a  partner  with  the  other  institutions  of  the  world ;  but 
none  of  these,  alas,  fully  recognize  either  their  foundation 
or  their  end.  The  church  in  its  order  and  fellowship 
witnesses  for  the  truth  that  God  has  made  men  for  fel- 
lowship and  that  the  foundations  of  society  are  spiritual 


The  Church  33 


and  vital  and  not  mechanical  or  accidental.  We  do  not 
create  the  bonds  that  unite  us  together ;  at  best  we  merely 
recognize  and  ratify  the  bonds  that  are  implied  in  our 
very  being.  To  love  others  and  to  live  in  fellowship  with 
others  is  our  true  life  and  appointed  end.  To  care  noth- 
ing for  others,  to  live  isolated  and  self-centered  lives,  is 
our  destruction  and  our  sin.  It  is  most  essential  that 
there  be  true  churches  in  every  community  and  that  they 
live  their  true  life  and  give  forth  their  rightful  testimony. 

4.  Pledges  Kingdom  Coming 

The  church  in  its  hope  and  service  is  a  pledge  of  the 
full  coming  of  the  Kingdom.  To  most  people  the  world 
as  they  find  it  seems  very  real  and  solid;  as  things  are 
they  think  they  always  have  been  and  always  will  be. 
But  the  children  of  the  Kingdom  who  pray,  "  Our  Father 
who  art  in  heaven,  thy  Kingdom  come,"  never  can  accept 
the  present  order  as  either  satisfactory  or  fixed.  The 
children  of  the  Kingdom  in  the  striking  words  of  Amiel 
are  "  forever  afflicted  with  the  malady  of  the  ideal/' 
They  never  can  sit  down  and  be  contented  with  the  world 
as  they  find  it.  They  look  above  and  beyond  the  present 
order  and  behold  that  true  order  which  God  wills  and 
ordains. 

And  so  the  church  must  keep  alive  in  men  the  great 
hope  of  the  City  of  God  on  earth,  and  it  must  hearten 
men  to  seek  that  city  with  all  their  might.  We  never 
shall  see  the  world  as  it  is  till  we  have  the  vision  of  the 
world  as  it  is  to  be.  We  never  shall  bravely  attack  the 
evils  of  the  world  till  we  realize  the  evanescence  of  these 
evils.  A  thousand  evils  exist  because  men  have  grown 
accustomed  to  them  and  have  accepted  them  as  a  matter 
c 


34  Building  a  Community 

of  course.  But  they  who  have  seen  the  Kingdom  of  God 
know  that  there  are  no  necessary  evils ;  they  know  that 
whatever  is  wrong  cannot  be  necessary,  and  whatever  is 
right  cannot  be  impossible.  No  part  of  the  church's 
work  is  more  important  than  this.  No  service  of  the 
church  can  be  more  vital  in  the  community's  life. 

THE  CHURCH'S  CONTRIBUTION 

In  what  the  church  is,  and  through  the  witness  it  gives, 
it  serves  a  most  vital  function.  But  beyond  this  the 
church  can  fulfil  a  more  direct  and  concrete  ministry. 
In  this  study  we  are  concerned  more  especially  with  the 
social  ministry  of  the  church.  It  must  be  said,  however, 
and  as  strongly  as  possible,  that  we  here  assume  the 
various  other  forms  of  service,  such  as  evangelism,  mis- 
sions, and  education.  Here  we  differentiate  our  com- 
munity service  from  other  forms  of  effort  and  throw 
chief  emphasis  upon  it;  but  we  do  not  mean  to  ignore 
or  minimize  these  other  activities.  We  speak  of  it  as 
social  service  for  the  reason  that  it  is  service  to  society; 
it  is  not  only  service  of  men  as  men,  but  service  of  society 
as  a  community  and  a  group.  And  it  is  social  service  in 
that  it  demands  social  action  atid  deals  with  social  condi- 
tions.    Four  things  are  noteworthy  here. 

1.  Creating  Community  Material 

The  church  must  create  the  kind  of  people  who  will 
make  good  material  for  community  building.  The 
quality  of  the  mass  depends  upon  the  quality  of  its 
constituents.  We  must  have  God's  kind  of  people  if 
we  are  to  have  God's  kind  of  city.     We  must  face  the 


The  Church  35 


hard  fact  that  people  as  we  find  them  are  not  good 
community  building  material.  In  their  native  state 
they  are  selfish  and  self-centered.  They  have  very 
uncertain  impulses  and  very  mixed  motives.  Their 
wills  are  wavering  in  the  cause  of  right.  Their  char- 
acters are  like  soft  sand  and  not  solid  rock.  Some 
change  must  be  wrought  in  these  people  before  they 
can  ever  serve  the  uses  of  the  Kingdom  and  become 
foundation  stones  in  the  Holy  City.  Call  this  change 
what  we  will,  their  minds  must  be  enlightened,  their 
motives  must  be  changed ;  they  must  change  the  cen- 
ter of  interest  from  self  to  Christ ;  they  must  learn  to 
love  others  and  to  live  for  the  common  good. 

2.  Training  for  Service 

The  church  can  make  a  large  contribution  to  the  com- 
munity by  training  people  for  sacrificial  service.  The 
church  has  not  finished  its  work  when  it  has  won  men 
unto  God  and  has  taught  them  to  honor  his  law.  It  has 
not  finished  its  work  till  it  has  taught  them  to  love  their 
fellows  and  has  trained  them  for  sacrificial  and  fruitful 
service.  It  has  not  finished  its  work  when  it  has  taught 
men  that  wrong  will  be  redressed  and  justice  will  be  done 
in  the  hereafter;  but  it  must  teach  men  that  it  is  their 
business  to  put  down  wrong  and  establish  justice  here 
and  now.  The  church  has  not  finished  its  work  when  it 
warns  men  against  selfishness  and  seeks  to  save  them 
from  a  hell  beyond  the  grave.  It  has  not  fulfilled  its 
mission  till  it  has  trained  men  to  serve  their  fellows  and 
has  sent  them  out  to  abolish  the  hells  of  this  world  and 
to  put  out  their  fires  forever.  This  work  the  church  cannot 
delegate  to  any  other  agency. 


36  Building  a  Community 


3.  Preparing  for  Community  Efficiency 

The  church  must  train  the  people  in  the  work  of  com- 
munity building.     It  is  something  to  win  the  soul  unto 
Jesus  Christ  and  unveil  before  it  the  Christian  ideal.    The 
church  must  go  farther  and  interpret  the  great  purpose 
of  Christ  and  train  people  in  the  work  of  building  a 
Christian   type   of   community   life.     This   means   much 
more  than  giving  the  soul  a  few  ideals  and  stirring  up 
some  good  impulses.     The  fact  is,  many  of  our  people 
have  such  ideals  and  impulses  now ;  but  they  do  not  know 
where  to  begin  in  their  community;  they  do  not  know 
how   to   translate   Christian   principles    into   community 
service.     They  are  filled  with  high  aspirations,  endless 
futilities,  pious  phrases ;  but  have  not  an  atom  of  social 
science,  not  a  bit  of  understanding  of  people,  no  concep- 
tion of  the  factors  that  enter  into  the  making  of  a  human 
life.     The  churches  are  therefore  called  to  interpret  the 
great  principles  of  Christ  as  the  foundations  of  human 
society.     They  need  to   show  people  how  to  find  the 
human  values  in  each  social  problem  and  industrial  situa- 
tion; they  are  called  to  interpret  the  Christian  meaning 
of  the  great  institutions  of  life ;  they  must  develop  in  men 
a  Christian  point  of  view  and  an  attitude  of  justice ;  they 
must  suggest  ways  in  which  men  may  take  hold  of  social 
situations  and  train  them  for  effective  and  fruitful  ser- 
vice in  all  the  relations  of  life  and  through  all  institu- 
tions ;  they  need  to  suggest  ways  in  which  good  impulses 
can  be  expressed  in  full  intelligence  and  in  fixed  social 
purposes.     In  a  word,  the  great  service  of  the  Christian 
today  is  that  of  teaching  men  how  to  set  love  to  work  in 
community  building. 


The  Church  37 


4.  Developing  Religious  Consciousness 

The  church  can  serve  a  useful  function  by  teaching 
men  to  view  life  and  its  needs  in  the  light  of  religion. 
Spirituality  is  not  a  zone  of  life  but  an  attitude  of  soul. 
The  difference  between  the  sacred  and  the  profane  is 
not  in  things  but  in  people.  There  are  no  parts  and  prov- 
inces of  life  that  are  in  themselves  spiritual.  That  man 
who  calls  some  parts  of  life  profane  confesses  that  he  is 
not  spiritual  himself.  To  the  religious  man  all  life  is 
religious;  the  man  who  is  religious  in  a  part  of  life  is  not 
really  religious  at  all.  Life  at  bottom  is  essentially  re- 
ligious; and  everything  is  spiritual  to  the  spiritually- 
minded  man. 

Let  this  conception  of  life  and  religion  become  domi- 
nant, and  men  will  see  that  religion  can  be  expressed  in 
government  statutes  as  truly  as  in  church  resolutions; 
that  men  can  seek  the  Kingdom  of  God  as  really  in  secur- 
ing good  homes  for  the  people  as  in  missionary  effort; 
that  Christ  can  be  served  in  keeping  people  from  becom- 
ing criminals  as  fully  as  in  conducting  evangelistic  cam- 
paigns ;  that  God  can  be  honored  by  the  chief  of  police  as 
truly  as  by  the  church  preachers ;  that  the  Holy  Spirit  can 
inspire  men  to  fight  for  social  justice  as  truly  as  he  can 
move  them  in  preaching  sermons ;  that,  in  a  word,  work 
in  behalf  of  good  housing  for  the  people,  a  better  indus- 
trial order,  a  just  system  of  taxation,  may  be  quite  as 
Christian  as  building  churches  and  gathering  missionary 
money.  Let  this  conception  of  life  and  religion  become 
dominant  and  men  will  see  that  the  Brotherhood  of  Man- 
kind can  be  interpreted  as  clearly  today  in  a  great  indus- 
try as  in  a  missionary  society ;  that  Christ  can  be  honored 


38  Building  a  Community 

as  fully  in  a  stockholders'  meeting  as  in  a  prayer-meeting ; 
that  one  of  the  finest  illustrations  of  faith  in  action  is  a 
conference  of  employers  and  employees  sitting  down  to 
adjust  the  affairs  of  the  enterprise  in  the  interests  of  all 
the  parties;  that,  in  fine,  the  clearest  evidence  of  the 
power  of  the  Gospel  is  a  company  of  men  laying  their 
talents  upon  the  altar  and  planning  not  for  the  enrich- 
ment of  the  few  but  for  the  profit  of  the  many. 

THE  CHURCH  SERVING  IN  ITS  COMMUNITY 

It  would  require  many  volumes  to  consider  ade- 
quately all  the  things  that  are  implied  in  this.  We 
simply  suggest  salient  items;  and  need  not  discuss  any 
one  in  detail. 

1.  Program  of  Community  Service 

The  church  may  well  have  a  definite  program  of  com- 
munity service.  According  to  a  recommendation  adopted 
by  the  Northern  Baptist  Convention,  "Every  church 
should  have  a  constructive  program  for  serving  the  social 
needs  of  its  community  either  individually  or  through  the 
largest  possible  cooperation  with  other  agencies  of  human 
uplift."  This  means  that  the  church  will  frankly  admit 
its  obligation  to  society  and  will  seek  to  realize  its  faith 
in  social  life.  This  means  further  that  the  church  will 
have  a  definite  conception  of  its  end  and  object  and  will 
frame  a  positive  program  of  social  action.  "  The  true 
and  grand  ideal  of  a  church"  said  Thomas  Arnold,  "  is 
that  of  a  society  for  making  men  like  Christ,  earth  like 
heaven,  and  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  the  kingdoms  of 
our  God." 


The  Church  39 


2.  Organized  for  Social  Efficiency 

The  church  should  be  organized  for  social  efficiency. 
What  are  the  marks  of  efficiency  in  a  church?  When 
can  it  be  said  that  a  church  is  really  efficient?  More 
than  all,  what  can  be  done  to  make  the  church  efficient 
in  all  its  lines  of  interest  and  activity  ?  Many  men,  most 
men  in  fact,  are  sincerely  anxious  to  serve  the  Kingdom 
of  God  in  such  ways  as  are  possible  and  useful.  There 
are  vast  reservoirs  of  untapped  power  in  many  of  the 
churches.  There  are  possibilities  of  heroic  and  fruitful 
service  in  the  rank  and  file  of  men.  The  church  must 
know  how  to  enlist  and  develop  these  possibilities  in 
behalf  of  social  salvation.  The  church  must  enlist  men 
in  the  tasks  of  the  Kingdom  and  organize  them  for 
efficient  service.  In  God's  arithmetic  twice  one  equals 
ten;  for  one  shall  chase  a  thousand;  but  two  shall  put 
ten  thousands  to  flight.  In  actual  life,  organization 
means  not  simply  addition  but  multiplication  of  power. 

3.  Committee  on  Social  Service 

In  this  work  of  organization  the  church  may  have  a 
committee  on  social  service  to  have  a  general  supervision 
of  all  the  social  service  work.  This  committee  should 
contain  a  representative  from  the  deacons,  the  Sunday 
school,  the  Young  People's  Society,  the  Men's  Brother- 
hood, and  the  Woman's  Society,  with  the  pastor  ex  officio 
a  member.  The  committee  should  organize  with  a  chair- 
man and  a  secretary,  and  should  have  regular  meetings 
at  least  once  a  month.  It  should  carefully  study  the 
local  situation,  the  needs  of  the  community  and  the  re- 
sources of  the  church,  and  should  have  a  definite  con- 


40  Building  a  Community 


structive  program.  It  should  create  such  sub-committees 
as  may  be  needed  for  special  work.  It  should  suggest 
ways  whereby  the  efforts  of  the  people  may  become  most 
effective  in  community  betterment.  It  should  have  a 
well-formulated  policy  of  social  service  instruction  in  and 
through  the  church.  It  should  keep  the  church  and  con- 
gregation informed  concerning  such  matters  as  demand 
their  interest  and  effort.  It  should  cooperate  with  the 
educational  committee  and  all  agencies  of  the  church 
which  are  seeking  to  guide  the  thought  and  to  train  the 
conscience  of  the  people.  Persons  should  be  chosen  for 
membership  on  this  committee  who  are  specially  inter- 
ested in  social  service  and  who  show  special  fitness  for 
the  work. 

4.  A  Community  Social  Center 

The  church  may  serve  a  most  useful  function  by 
providing  a  community  social  center.  In  ideal  social 
conditions  the  home  should  serve  a  large  part  of  this 
demand ;  in  fact  our  social  system  stands  condemned 
because  of  its  destruction  of  the  home.  In  ideal  social 
conditions  the  home  might  be  the  social  center  and  the 
church-building  might  be  the  place  for  worship  and  in- 
struction. But  as  we  know,  modern  civic  conditions  have 
threatened  the  home ;  industry  has  invaded  it ;  the  home 
is  little  else  than  a  lodging-place  for  many  of  the  people. 
More  and  more  the  people,  and  especially  the  young,  are 
being  crowded  out  of  the  home  and  are  being  turned  out 
upon  the  street.  Where  can  the  young  meet  for  acquain- 
tance and  recreation?  Where  shall  men  and  women 
go  for  fellowship  and  inspiration?  On  all  sides  cheap 
amusement  places  appeal  to  all,  young  and  old,  and  the 


The  Church  41 


appeal  is  not  in  vain.  But  recreation  has  been  com- 
mercialized and  is  now  demoralized;  recreation  is  fast 
becoming  dissipation,  with  results  that  are  well  known. 
In  industrial  communities  women  are  drawn  into  the  fac- 
tories and  their  children  are  neglected.  Sometimes  the 
baby  is  left  in  the  care  of  one  of  the  older  children ;  some- 
times the  children  are  crowded  into  a  neighbor's  already 
overcrowded  rooms.  Where  shall  the  people  go?  And 
what  shall  be  done  to  meet  this  need  ?  The  church  must 
answer  this  question.  The  need  of  the  people  is  the 
church's  opportunity. 

Something  can  be  done  by  the  church  in  providing 
parlors  for  social  fellowship.  Something  can  be  done  by 
providing  social  rooms  where  the  young  people  can  meet 
and  become  acquainted.  A  part  of  the  church  grounds 
may  be  used  as  a  playground.  The  basement  may  be 
turned  into  a  gymnasium;  the  roof  can  be  utilized  as  a 
roof  garden  and  playground.  As  Professor  Henry 
Drummond  said  to  those  who  objected  to  using  the  church 
as  a  gathering  place  for  children :  "  One  yard  of  boy  is 
worth  a  hundred  yards  of  carpet."  The  church  can  pro- 
vide a  library  and  a  reading-room  for  the  use  of  all.  In 
the  church-building  there  may  be  classes  in  sewing, 
housekeeping,  sanitation,  health,  citizenship,  and  social 
study.  The  churches  of  a  community  can  serve  a  human 
need  by  maintaining  labor  bureaus  and  exchanges.  The 
young  people  should  be  encouraged  to  organize  a  glee 
club,  a  choral  society,  a  dramatic  club,  a  nature  study 
club.  The  church  should  consider  it  as  part  of  its  mis- 
sion to  provide  a  community  social  center  for  all  of 
the  people.  Man  is  a  social  being,  and  ministry  to  his 
social  nature  is  a  sacred  ministry. 


42  Building  a  Community 

5.  Center  of  Helpful  Ministries 

The  church  should  be  a  center  of  helpful  ministries. 
We  assume  that  the  church  is  the  center  of  the  whole 
community  worship  and  inspiration.  But  the  church 
that  would  fulfil  its  whole  ministry  must  be  much  more 
than  this.  The  church  that  has  the  spirit  of  Christ  must 
seek  to  perpetuate  Christ's  helpful  and  healing  ministry 
to  all  whom  it  may  reach. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  every  church  there  are  many 
poor  and  needy  people;  the  church  that  would  fulfil  its 
full  ministry  must  have  some  definite  and  systematic  way 
of  helping  them.  Indiscriminate  charity  is  worse  than 
no  charity  at  all.  The  church  is  not  called  upon  to  keep 
open  house  and  feed  every  beggar  that  comes  along. 
This  only  encourages  begging  and  neither  helps  the  people 
nor  fulfils  the  law  of  Christ.  After  all,  what  the  average 
beggar  needs  more  than  bread  and  dimes,  is  counsel  and 
sympathy.  Sometimes  he  needs  a  little  stern  dealing, 
which  will  make  him  know  that  the  man  who  will  not 
work  should  not  eat.  But  beyond  the  occasional  beggar 
there  are  many  people  in  the  community  who  are  in  need, 
unable  to  make  both  ends  meet  and  often  suffering  for 
the  necessities  of  life  and  never  knowing  what  life  really 
means.  These  people  need  counsel  and  sympathy;  they 
need  some  aid  which  will  tide  them  over  the  present  diffi- 
culty ;  they  need  good  counsel  and  wise  direction.  It  is 
an  easy  thing  to  gather  clothing  and  food  for  the  needy 
family ;  sometimes  these  things  may  be  necessary  as 
emergency  measures.  But  this  method  is  too  easy  and 
cheap  to  be  really  Christian  and  effective.  After  all,  the 
person  who  is  poor  is  usually  poor  not  alone  in  money 


The  Church  43 


values  but  in  human  sympathy.  People  need  sympathy 
and  encouragement  more  than  they  need  bread  and 
money.  To  give  them  a  chance  to  work  and  try  to  im- 
prove their  ability  is  better  than  to  fill  their  coal-bin  or 
pay  their  rent. 

6.  Cooperation  with  Other  Agencies 

The  church  can  render  a  large  service  by  cooperating 
with  other  community  agencies.     In  the  past  generation 
or  two,  due  in  large  part  to  the  impulsion  of  the  Christian 
spirit,  there  have  grown  up  outside  the  church  many 
agencies  of  social  service.     Some  of  these  organizations 
are  doing  their  work  in  the  name  of  the  church;  but  many 
have  no  connection  with  the  churches,  and  some  of  them 
frankly  disown  all  connection  with  the  churches.     The 
Young    Men's    Christian    Association    and    the    Young 
Women's  Christian  Association  have  some  official  rela- 
tion to  the  church ;  but  other  organizations,  as  the  Civic 
League,  the  Juvenile  Court,  the  Charity  Association,  are 
wholly   independent;   the   public   schools   are   separated 
from  the  churches,  and  many  people  are  determined  to 
keep  them  apart.     The  fact  that  these  organizations  exist 
is  no  reason  for  regret.     Nay,  rather  the  churches  should 
rejoice  that  so  much  good  work  is  being  done.      The 
churches  can  know  what  these  agencies  are  doing;  they 
can  keep  in  touch  with  them ;  they  can  train  their  members 
for  effective  service  in  and  through  these  organizations ; 
and   they    can    find    in    these    agencies    many    channels 
through  which  the  devotion  of  Christian  people  can  flow 
forth.     The  churches  can  do  more  than  this;  they  can 
have  committees  on  conferences  with  the  public-school 
teachers,  with  the  city   administration,  with  the  police 


44  Building  a  Community 


department,    with   the   juvenile   court,   and   many   other 
organizations. 

The  recognition  of  this  truth  will  save  the  church  from 
possible  narrowness — the  narrowness  of  trying  to  reduce 
the  Kingdom  to  its  limited  area  and  excluding  all  other 
interests  of  life,  and  from  possible  difTuseness — the  dif- 
fuseness  of  trying  to  do  everything  and  thereby  scattering 
its  energies.  It  will  properly  relate  the  work  of  the 
church  to  that  of  the  other  agencies  of  life;  and  it  will 
save  men  from  the  mistake  of  supposing  that  they  are 
doing  secular  work  when  working  through  other  agencies 
than  the  church.  It  will  lead  men  also  to  know  their 
gifts,  to  do  the  special  work  for  which  they  have  special 
fitness,  to  honor  the  church  without  minimizing  the  other 
agencies  of  life,  and  to  work  through  other  institutions 
while  honoring  the  church  and  promoting  its  work. 

7.  An  Example  of  Unselfishness 

The  church  is  here  to  seek  the  Kingdom  of  God,  to 
serve  men,  to  give  its  treasures  of  love  and  grace  to  the 
world.  The  churches  may  well  remember  the  words  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  how  he  said :  "  It  is  more  blessed 
to  give  than  to  receive."  The  churches  may  well  heed 
the  solemn  warning  of  the  Master :  "  He  that  findeth  his 
life  shall  lose  it ;  he  that  loseth  his  life  for  my  sake  shall 
find  it." 

The  church  is  here  to  give  itself  to  the  world  and  to 
lose  itself  for  the  sake  of  the  Kingdom.  The  church 
forfeits  its  Christian  character  and  becomes  a  mere  social 
club  or  a  group  of  Sadducees,  when  it  makes  itself  an 
end,  gathering  into  itself  from  the  world  and  seeking  its 
own  upbuilding  as  the  goal.     The  misconceptions  of  this 


The  Church  45 


truth,  the  failures  at  this  point,  have  been  many  and  have 
wrought  incalculable  mischief  to  the  churches  and  im- 
measurable woe  to  the  world. 

The  true  and  Christian  idea  of  the  church  and  its  rela- 
tion to  the  Kingdom  would  work  a  complete  revolution 
in  the  plans  and  methods  of  the  average  church  and 
would  send  it  forth  to  spend  and  to  be  spent  for  men. 
The  fact  is,  the  church  that  gives  most  is  the  church 
most  fully  Christian.  The  church  that  gives  the  largest 
measure  of  service  is  the  church  that  men  will  honor. 

FOR  CLASS  USE 

1.  Which  of  the  author's  four  characterizations  of 
the  ideal  church  on  earth  seems  to  you  to  be  the  most 
significant?     Discuss. 

2.  In  which  of  the  four  contributions  of  the  church 
to  society  that  are  named  by  the  author  is  the  church  of 
today  the  strongest?  In  which  is  it  the  weakest?  Give 
reasons. 

3.  Of  the  seven  ways  in  which  the  church  may  serve 
its  community,  as  suggested  in  this  chapter,  which  seems 
to  you  to  be  the  most  important  ?    Why  ? 

4.  Do  you  know  of  a  church  that  has  a  committee  on 
social  service?  What  has  been  accomplished  through 
this  committee? 

5.  Give  examples  of  church  cooperation  with  other 
communities. 

6.  References:  Strong,  "  Systematic  Theology,"  Vol. 
Ill,  Part  VII ;  Rauschenbusch,  "  Christianizing  the  Social 
Order  " ;  Crocker,  "  The  Church  Today  " ;  Cutting,  "  The 
Church  and  Society  " ;  Ward,  "  Social  Ministry  " ;  Wish- 


46  Building  a  Community 


art,  "  The  Social  Mission  of  the  Church " ;  Mathews, 
"  The  Church  in  the  Changing  Order  " ;  Coffin,  "  In  a 
Day  of  Social  Rebuilding  " ;  Rowe,  "  Society,"  Chapter 
XXXVIII ;  Men  and  Religion  Movement,  "  Social  Ser- 
vice Messages." 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  SCHOOLS 

"  There  is  one  institution  in  every  American  com- 
munity that  stands  as  the  gateway  into  the  promised 
land  of  a  richer  life.  This  is  the  school.  It  supplements 
home  training  and  prepares  for  the  broader  experiences 
of  community  existence.  Into  it  goes  the  raw  material 
of  the  bodies  and  minds  of  the  children,  and  out  of  it 
comes  the  product  of  years  of  education  for  the  making 
or  marring  of  the  children  of  the  community."  (Rowe, 
"  Society,,,  p.  120.) 

THE  MEANING  OF  EDUCATION 

There  are  some  principles  that  must  be  recognized  in 
any  system  of  education  that  deserves  the  name.  But 
they  demand  special  consideration  in  the  educational  sys- 
tem of  a  democracy.  As  Professor  Welton  so  well 
shows,  "  The  end  rules  the  means,  in  education  as  in  life 
itself."  (Welton,  "What  Do  We  Mean  by  Education?" 
Chap.  I.)     We  can  note  only  a  few  vital  principles. 

1.  Must  Be  Social 

Education  must  be  social.  Life  is  a  matter  of  relation- 
ships. Righteous  life  is  life  in  right  relations.  Good 
living  is  social  living.  Every  person  is  called  to  live  in  a 
community.     He   must  therefore  be  trained   for  social 

47 


48  Building  a  Community 


living  and  community  service.  "  Education  is  the  organi- 
zation and  direction  of  social  expression  to  the  end  that 
persons  may  be  competent  to  live  as  social  beings. " 
(Cope,  "Education  for  Democracy,"  p.  141.)  Educa- 
tion is  achieving  its  purpose  in  so  far  as  it  discloses  the 
social  relations  and  obligations  of  life,  trains  the  life  in 
making  right  social  adjustments,  and  prepares  it  for  help- 
ful and  serviceable  life  in  the  community.  "  A  man  is 
educated,"  says  Ruskin,  "  if  he  is  happy,  busy,  beneficent, 
and  effective  in  the  world."  (Ruskin,  "  Stones  of  Venice," 
III,  Appendix  VII.) 

2.  Must  Be  Vocational 

Education  should  be  vocational.  Every  member  of 
the  community  is  expected  to  do  some  work,  to  make  his 
appropriate  contribution  to  the  community  life.  Work 
is  both  a  moral  and  a  social  necessity.  "  He  that  will  not 
work  neither  shall  he  eat."  Every  person  must  make  his 
own  way  in  the  world  and  do  his  own  work.  Some  per- 
sons hope  to  elbow  and  dodge  their  way  through  the 
world  without  doing  any  real  work ;  they  grow  up  in  the 
delusion  that  the  world  owes  them  a  living.  But  every 
right-minded  person  knows  better  than  this;  he  realizes 
that  he  has  his  own  contribution  to  make  and  his  own 
work  to  do.  Every  person  is  expected  to  do  some  real, 
honest,  valuable  work.  He  therefore  needs  such  an  edu- 
cation as  shall  train  him  to  be  an  efficient,  economic  unit. 
But  even  more  vitally  than  this,  as  the  condition  of  all 
good  living,  he  needs  to  understand  the  social  meaning  of 
work,  to  realize  that  one's  vocation  in  life  is  one's  means 
of  serving  society,  and  that  one  is  truly  educated  in  so 
far  as  he  does  his  work  with  delight  and  thoroughness. 


The  Schools  49 


3.  Must  Be  Cultural 

Education  that  is  real  is  also  cultural.  The  great  ma- 
jority of  the  people  in  every  community  must  be  workers 
with  hand  or  brain;  and  they  require  some  specialized 
training  for  this  work.  But  beyond  this  and  before  this, 
every  person  has  a  life  to  live,  a  personality  to  develop. 
We  must  be  careful  not  to  invert  values  here  and  mistake 
means  for  ends.  The  end  of  all  education  and  of  all  in- 
dustry is  the  development  of  life.  Labor  and  industry 
are  means  to  this  end.  Life  and  personality  must  always 
be  the  end  and  never  be  regarded  as  the  means.  This 
means  that  every  person,  whatever  his  work  in  life,  re- 
quires such  an  education  as  shall  develop  his  mind,  quicken 
his  imagination,  direct  his  impulses,  and  teach  him  what  to 
admire  and  love. 

We  all  profess  to  believe  in  education,  but,  as  John 
Hobson  points  out,  few  of  us  truly  realize  that  it  is  an 
organic  process  of  developing  the  capacities  of  a  human 
soul;  for  the  most  part  we  only  believe  in  processes  of 
learning.  The  result  is  an  attainment  of  knowledge,  or 
at  most  sharpening  of  aptitudes  for  the  practical  work  of 
life.  (Hobson,  "  John  Ruskin,  Social  Reformer,"  p.  250.) 
The  work  of  education  consists  rather  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  soul's  capacities  in  order  that  we  may  live 
a  full  and  satisfying  life. 

4.  Must  Develop  Conscience 

Education  must  develop  and  train  the  moral  conscious- 
ness and  will.  The  person  who  would  live  in  a  modern 
community  must  play  according  to  the  rules  of  the  game. 
He  must  learn  how  to  make  moral  valuations.     He  must 

D 


SO  Building  a  Community 

i  ■-  -     ■  i  iii-- tii—  ■  r»Ti~M-—i n—mnnwr 

have  acquired  certain  definite  reactions  against  the  evil 
and  certain  positive  attitudes  toward  the  good.  He  not 
only  knows  the  better,  but  he  must  love  and  choose  it. 
He  needs  a  keen  and  sensitive  conscience  which  will  feel 
that  his  profession  is  put  to  shame  so  long  as  an  abuse 
exists  in  the  community.  He  needs  a  sacrificial  attitude 
of  soul  which  will  make  him  willing  to  hold  his  life  as  a 
trust  for  society  and  will  lead  him  to  serve  his  community 
in  every  possible  way. 

We  need  to  note  carefully  the  nature  of  this  moral  and 
religious  education.  "  A  religious  and  moral  education 
is  religious  and  moral  through  and  through,  not  because 
the  subjects  studied  are  all  directly  religious  and  moral 
in  their  content ;  but  because  they  are  studied  in  a  re- 
ligious and  moral  spirit."  (Welton,  "  What  Do  We  Mean 
by  Education?  "  p.  56.) 

THE  PUBLIC-SCHOOL  SYSTEM 

It  is  not  possible  to  discuss  here  the  various  efforts  that 
have  been  made  to  provide  for  the  education  of  the 
people ;  nor  is  it  possible  to  consider  either  the  origin  and 
development  of  the  public-school  system.  This  should 
be  said,  however :  that  it  is  an  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
state  to  prepare  every  child  for  life  in  the  community  and 
citizenship  in  the  state.  It  rests  upon  the  conviction  that 
there  are  mutual  obligations  on  the  part  of  the  person  and 
of  society.  The  democratic  state,  which  must  depend 
upon  the  intelligence  and  courage  of  its  citizens,  must 
prepare  them  for  effective  and  qualified  citizenship.  In 
an  autocracy  universal  education  is  an  optional  matter; 
but  in  a  democracy  it  is  a  necessity.     The  public-school 


The  Schools  51 


system  is  the  means  that  democracy  has  devised  for  edu- 
cating itself. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  consider  how  far  the  public-school 
system  is  meeting  the  essential  demands  upon  it.  But 
some  things  may  be  noted  especially  with  reference  to 
certain  shortcomings  in  the  system.  The  public-school 
system  as  it  exists  contains  some  serious  defects. 

1.  Lacking  in  Religious  Training 

It  makes  no  provision  for  the  direct  moral  and  religious 
education  of  the  pupils.  In  America  we  have  effected 
the  separation  of  church  and  state,  and  so  far  we  have 
done  well.  All  churches  and  all  faiths  stand  on  an 
equality  before  the  law.  Owing  to  the  divisions  in  the 
churches  no  forms  of  religion  can  be  recognized  by  the 
state  or  be  taught  in  the  schools.  All  positive  religious 
teaching  is  thus  barred  from  the  schools  of  the  nation. 
In  some  cities  the  Bible  may  be  read  without  comment, 
and  hymns  may  be  sung;  but  nothing  beyond  this  is  at- 
tempted. In  few  public  schools  is  there  any  direct  ethical 
instruction.  One  is  glad  to  see  that  moral  influences  are 
potent  in  practically  all  of  the  public  schools;  as  a  rule, 
the  principals  and  teachers  are  men  and  women  of  high 
moral  character  and  pronounced  religious  life.  But  with 
it  all  there  is  no  direct  moral  instruction  and  positive 
ethical  training.  The  moral  influences  at  work  are  inci- 
dental rather  than  purposed. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  from  one  cause  and  another 
the  public  school  is  failing  to  develop  the  moral  and  re- 
ligious life  of  the  child.  Whether  rightly  or  wrongly,  the 
home  in  large  part  has  turned  over  to  the  school  the  train- 
ing of  the  children ;  and  the  school  is  failing  to  provide 


52  Building  a  Community 

the  moral  and  religious  training  that  is  needed.  The  in- 
fluence of  the  school  upon  the  child,  both  negatively  and 
positively,  is  a  most  potent  influence  in  life.  The  school 
claims  the  child  for  some  six  hours  every  day  at  the  most 
impressionable  period  of  its  life;  and  the  public-school 
system  rests  upon  the  assumption  that  it  is  preparing  the 
pupils  for  life  and  for  citizenship.  But,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  it  is  not  doing  this  work  in  full;  in  fact,  evidence 
multiplies  that  it  has  failed  to  develop  either  a  qualified 
citizenship  or  a  moral  generation.  "  The  business  of 
education,"  says  Professor  Sadler,  "  is  to  prepare  for 
life."  But  man  is  not  prepared  for  life  unless  he  has  not 
only  a  trained  mind  but  a  sensitive  conscience  and  a  disci- 
plined will. 

2.  Fails  to  Prepare  for  Real  Life 

Not  only  so,  but  the  public-school  system  is  failing  to 
prepare  the  children  for  real  life.  It  is  admitted  by  all 
students  of  the  system  that  the  instruction  is  too  bookish, 
too  abstract,  too  purely  mental.  The  public-school  sys- 
tem is  a  splendid  system,  covering  all  grades  as  it  does 
from  primary  to  the  university.  But  everything  from 
the  first-grade  primary  is  designed  with  the  university 
in  view.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  only  twenty-two 
per  cent  of  those  entering  the  first  grade  ever  complete 
the  eighth  grade.  Of  those  who  enter  the  high  school 
only  thirty-one  out  of  a  hundred  complete  the  full  course 
and  graduate.  Approximately  forty-two  of  each  one 
hundred  high-school  graduates  enter  college ;  but  about 
one-half  of  those  who  enter  complete  the  college  course. 
Stating  it  differently,  this  means  that  of  seven  hundred 
pupils  who  enter  the  first  grade,  only  five  continue  their 


The  Schools  53 


training  through  college.  There  are  several  things  in- 
volved in  this  which  are  significant.  For  one  thing,  a 
very  small  proportion  of  the  people,  about  two-thirds  of 
one  per  cent,  ever  receives  the  advantages  of  a  collegiate 
training.  More  than  three-fourths  of  the  people  receive 
all  of  their  school  preparation  in  the  grades.  But  the 
training  in  these  earlier  grades  is  almost  wholly  bookish 
and  abstract;  there  is  very  little  training  in  ethics  and 
citizenship ;  and  there  is  little  direct  technical  and  voca- 
tional training.  This  means  that  the  pupils  who  drop  out 
of  the  lower  grades  under  sixteen  years  of  age,  as  more 
than  three-fourths  do,  have  little  direct  and  practical 
training  for  life  and  citizenship. 

A  SCHOOL  PROGRAM 

We  are  concerned  here  with  a  positive  program. 
There  are  several  things  practical  and  possible  that  may 
be  done. 

1.  Cooperation  with  Churches 

First  of  all,  the  churches  should  be  organized  for  defi- 
nite practical  cooperation  with  the  school.  In  every  com- 
munity there  should  be  the  most  friendly  relations  be- 
tween pastors  and  teachers,  with  frequent  conferences. 
In  every  community  the  churches  should  have  a  com- 
mittee on  conference  with  the  teachers,  and  should  assist 
them  in  every  practical  way.  This  committee  should 
study  the  best  methods  of  public  instruction;  it  should 
give  close  attention  to  the  sanitary  conditions  of  the 
buildings  and  grounds  ;  it  should  encourage  those  teachers 
who  are  exerting  positive  moral  influence;  and  it  should 


54  Building  a  Community 

see  to  it  that  teachers  of  the  highest  character  are  pro- 
vided. 

More  than  this,  such  a  committee  should  work  out  some 
method  whereby  the  moral  and  religious  training  of  the 
children  can  be  ensured.  Some  day  we  may  see  that  re- 
ligion is  larger  than  any  or  all  of  the  churches  and  that 
men  of  all  faiths  can  agree  in  the  fundamentals  of  re- 
ligion ;  and  thus  some  working  basis  can  be  found.  The 
present  method  of  non-religious  education  is  wholly  un- 
satisfactory, and  the  present  condition  cannot  be  accepted 
as  final.  To  please  all  churches  we  have  reduced  religion 
to  the  minimum  and  have  excluded  it  from  the  public 
schools. 

We  cannot  say  what  the  future  holds  in  store  for  us, 
but  one  of  the  most  immediate  duties  concerns  the 
strengthening  of  moral  influences  in  the  public  schools. 
There  is  another  duty  even  more  urgent,  that  the  church 
and  home  shall  fulfil  their  responsibility  and  provide  the 
moral  and  religious  training  so  greatly  needed,  but  now 
so  sadly  lacking. 

2.  Appreciation  of  Nature  and  Life 

Another  thing :  the  time  has  come  for  a  radical  change 
in  the  public-school  system.  Any  education  worthy  of 
the  name  should  seek  to  train  the  eye  to  see,  the  hand  to 
touch,  the  mind  to  compare,  the  body  to  be  strong;  it 
must  train  the  pupil  in  diligence,  patience,  reverence, 
thought ;  it  must  sharpen  the  intellect,  purify  the  insight, 
discipline  the  will;  it  must  prepare  the  child  for  its  life 
in  society,  in  work,  in  play,  in  service. 

"  A  man  is  not  educated  in  any  sense  whatsoever  be- 
cause he  can  read  Latin  or  write  English  or  can  behave 


The  Schools  55 


himself  in  a  drawing-room;  but  he  is  only  educated  if  he 
is  happy,  busy,  beneficent,  and  effective  in  the  world. 
Millions  of  peasants  are,  therefore,  at  this  moment  better 
educated  than  most  of  those  who  call  themselves  gentle- 
men; and  the  means  taken  to  educate  the  lower  classes 
in  any  other  sense  may  very  often  be  productive  of  a 
precisely  opposite  result."  (John  Ruskin,  "  Stones  of 
Venice,"  III,  Appendix  VII.)  "You  do  not  educate  a 
man,"  he  says  again,  "  by  telling  him  what  he  knew  not, 
but  by  making  him  what  he  was  not."  People  may  have 
eyes,  but  most  people  see  not.  They  may  have  ears,  but 
they  hear  not.  They  may  have  minds,  but  they  do  not 
know  how  to  think. 

Children  should  be  taught  to  observe  and  compare; 
they  should  be  able  to  recognize  every  tree  and  plant  in 
their  neighborhood  on  sight ;  they  should  identify  every 
common  bird  on  sight  or  by  its  song;  they  should  know 
the  stars  and  constellations  in  the  sky ;  they  should  know 
how  clouds  gather  and  rain  falls  in  their  valley ;  the  begin- 
nings of  geography,  botany,  geology,  zoology,  astronomy 
should  be  studied  from  nature  itself.  One  fact  known  at 
first  hand  and  seen  in  its  relations  is  worth  a  dozen  bits 
of  information  gained  from  books  and  unrelated  to  life. 
For  this  reason  the  public-school  system  should  be 
changed  and  extended  and  the  training  carried  out-of- 
doors.  The  pupils  should  be  brought  face  to  face  with 
nature  and  should  study  its  processes.  They  should 
study  the  flowers  as  they  grow  and  the  birds  as  they  sing 
and  fly.  An  education  that  turns  one  away  from  nature 
and  life  and  shuts  him  up  in  books  and  schoolrooms  is 
wholly  unsatisfactory.  Life  is  learned  by  living.  Real 
education  is  directed  living. 


r 


6  Building  a  Community 


3.  Training  in  Reading  and  Conversation 

Far  more  attention  should  be  given  to  some  elementary 
and  yet  essential  things,  such  as  reading  and  conversation. 
Anyone  can  make  a  simple  test  for  himself.  Take  any 
page  from  a  standard  author  or  even  from  the  Bible,  and 
ask  the  average  high-school  pupil  to  read  it  aloud.  Very 
few  are  able  to  read  it  with  ease,  with  precision,  with 
distinct  enunciation,  giving  the  author's  meaning.  Few 
pupils  are  taught  clear  enunciation  and  easy  speech.  The 
average  eighth-grade  pupil  should  be  able  to  speak  his 
native  language  with  ease,  distinctness,  and  elegance;  he 
should  know  how  to  read  aloud  the  best  literature  of 
the  world  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  hearers.  An  educa- 
tion that  fails  here  is  failing  in  its  primary  duties. 

4.  Technical  and  Vocational  Preparation 

There  must  be  such  a  change  in  the  public-school 
curriculum  as  will  provide  a  technical  and  vocational 
training  for  the  children  of  the  nation.  Two  dangers 
beset  the  nation  in  its  educational  policy.  One  is  the 
danger  of  making  education  too  exclusively  a  matter 
of  general  culture,  of  making  it  a  mere  accomplish- 
ment and  an  end  in  itself.  The  other  is  the  danger 
of  reducing  all  education  to  the  mere  bread-and-butter 
level,  of  making  it  a  means  of  getting  on  in  the  world 
and  increasing  one's  income.  Three-fourths  of  all  the 
pupils  in  our  public  schools  drop  out  before  they  reach 
the  high  school.  If  these  are  ever  to  receive  any  direct 
technical  and  vocational  training,  they  must  receive  it 
early  in  the  course.  Few  of  those  who  drop  out  have 
received   any   vocational   training;   as   a   consequence 


The  Schools  57 


they  must  take  the  first  work  that  offers.  They  are 
unskilled  workers,  and  so  are  seriously  handicapped. 
Some  vocational  training  must  come  earlier  in  the 
curriculum.  Some  technical  training  should  be  given 
every  pupil  in  the  earlier  grades.  Vocation  schools 
with  vocational  training  can  meet  a  real  need. 

Above  all,  there  should  be  provided  for  all  children 
some  vocational  guidance  somewhere  along  the  line 
between  the  eighth  and  the  sixteenth  years.  In 
America  there  are  about  two  million  children  between 
the  years  of  fourteen  and  sixteen  who  are  out  of  school. 
Of  this  number,  about  one  million  are  at  work;  which 
means  that  about  one  million  are  idle  at  the  most  vital 
years  of  life.  The  school  did  not  hold  their  interest, 
and  so  they  dropped  out  of  the  course.  They  have  not 
found  their  place  in  life  and  are  drifting.  This  sug- 
gests a  question  which  demands  serious  consideration. 
It  is  necessary  that  continuation  schools  of  some  kind 
be  provided  for  these  and  other  children;  and  it  is 
necessary  that  they  be  given  careful  vocational  gui- 
dance in  these  formative  years.  (Miles,  "Vocational 
Education,"  World's  Work,  October,  1913.) 

Everywhere  we  find  much  waste  of  human  capacity  due 
to  misfit  occupations.  Many  young  people  drop  out  of 
school  and  enter  "  blind-alley  "  trades.  Many  take  the 
first  work  that  offers  without  reference  either  to  the 
future  or  to  their  fitness.  Much  more  should  be  done 
by  the  home  than  is  now  done  in  the  way  of  vocational 
inspiration.  Much  more  can  be  done  by  the  churches  in 
teaching  the  young  the  meaning  of  work  and  the  oppor- 
tunities of  the  various  vocations.  But  the  public  school 
is  the  one  agency  which  should  give  attention  to  this 


►8  Building  a  Community 


question,  and  should  provide  the  needed  vocational  train- 
ing. This  is  a  fundamental  obligation  of  the  public 
schools,  and  its  provision  would  meet  the  need  and  would 
prepare  pupils  for  life  in  society. 

5.  Training  in  Civic  Duties 

Three-fourths  of  the  children  of  the  nation  never  enter 
the  high  school.  This  means  that  they  receive  little  if 
any  direct  positive  and  adequate  training  in  civic  duties. 
It  may  be  said  that  the  pupils  in  the  grades  are  not 
advanced  enough  for  the  study  of  political  institutions, 
civic  questions,  and  social  obligations.  But  if  the  public 
school  exists  to  prepare  the  people  for  life  in  society  and 
citizenship  in  the  state,  some  direct  training  in  these 
things  should  be  given  every  pupil  who  goes  as  far  as  the 
sixth  grade.  There  should  be  some  direct  and  positive 
instruction  in  the  nature  of  the  state,  the  function  of  the 
government,  the  duties  of  citizens,  the  meaning  of  a  vote. 
In  addition  there  should  be  a  comprehensive  study  of  the 
city,  its  history,  its  conditions,  its  government,  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  citizens.  In  many  of  the  schools  a  noble 
and  notable  beginning  has  been  made  here ;  but  this  func- 
tion of  the  public  school  needs  to  be  kept  in  the  very 
forefront  and  given  large  consideration. 

6.  Supervision  of  Play  Activities 

No  more  useful  function  can  be  served  by  the  public 
school  than  to  provide  adequate  facilities  for  play  and 
then  to  supervise  the  play  activities  of  the  children.  In 
this  way  the  school  can  do  much  to  train  the  children,  to 
socialize  them,  to  teach  them  how  to  do  their  work,  to 
prepare  them  for  life  in  society  and  service  in  the  state. 


The  Schools  59 


The  most  important  part  of  a  school's  equipment,  next  to 
the  teachers,  is  the  playground.  Every  school  should 
have  an  adequate  and  well-equipped  playground,  and 
should  provide  for  supervised  play.  The  children  should 
be  taught  to  do  team-work,  to  give  and  take,  to  win  with- 
out being  proud,  and  to  be  beaten  without  being  cross. 
More  real  preparation  for  social  living  can  be  gained  on 
the  playground  than  in  a  close  room  by  reading  from  a 
book. 

7.  Wholesome,  Attractive  Environment 

One  thing  is  most  important  in  this  school  program. 
Every  school-building  should  have  light,  cheerful  rooms; 
and  provision  should  be  made  for  an  abundance  of  fresh 
air.  In  fact,  every  room  should  be  half  open  much  of 
the  time.  Investigations  show  that  the  mental  efficiency 
of  a  child  is  reduced  from  ten  to  fifty  per  cent  by  con- 
finement in  a  close  room.  In  many  of  our  cities  we  have 
provided  open-air  schoolrooms  for  sickly  and  tuberculous 
children.  This  is  most  wise,  but  it  is  a  sad  commentary 
on  our  intelligence  that  it  is  the  sickly  and  diseased  chil- 
dren who  are  given  an  education  under  proper  conditions. 
Some  day  every  school  will  hold  part  of  its  sessions  in 
the  open  air.  Some  day  the  teachers  will  take  the  chil- 
dren to  the  woods  and  fields  to  study  nature  instead  of 
getting  information  at  second  hand  from  books.  Some 
day  we  will  realize  that  a  large  part  of  education  consists 
in  keeping  the  body  strong,  teaching  the  hand  to  move, 
the  eye  to  see,  the  mind  to  compare,  the  brain  to  think. 
Make  the  schools  attractive,  teach  the  children  to  obey, 
give  them  a  chance  to  play  and  train  them  in  team-work, 
and  we  have  made  prisons  unnecessary. 


60  Building  a  Community 


8.  Some  Other  Considerations 

Two  or  three  items  are  vital  in  our  program.  No  child 
should  be  permitted  to  leave  school  till  he  has  been  disci- 
plined for  social  living  and  trained  in  the  duties  of 
citizenship. 

No  church  has  met  its  obligation  toward  the  Kingdom 
till  every  child  has  received  some  training  for  parenthood. 
No  school  can  be  pronounced  a  success  unless  it  is  train- 
ing body,  mind,  and  spirit. 

Education  must  be  accessible  to  all.  A  community  is 
not  becoming  Christian  when  it  provides  education  for  a 
few  and  practically  disbars  the  vast  majority.  It  is  be- 
coming Christian  as  it  keeps  the  door  of  opportunity  wide 
open  and  seeks  to  lift  up  every  life  into  the  possession 
and  appreciation  of  the  highest  good.  In  a  certain  in- 
dustrial community  a  prominent  church-member  was 
asked  to  aid  in  the  education  of  the  foreign  peoples  in 
the  city.  He  declined  with  the  remark :  "  I  have  no  in- 
terest in  the  education  of  these  people,  because  that  would 
deprive  industry  of  its  workers."  Better  for  a  nation 
that  its  industries  were  sunk  into  the  depths  of  the  sea 
than  that  it  should  build  its  prosperity  upon  the  meager 
lives  of  workers. 

The  last  thing  is  this :  education  should  make  it  pos- 
sible for  every  person  to  live  a  full  life  and  enjoy  the 
best  things.  Some  time  ago  I  saw  a  picture  that  has 
haunted  me.  It  was  the  face  of  a  woman  of  the  Far 
East  old  before  her  time ;  with  wrinkled  face,  vacant  look 
and  dim  eye,  near  her  end,  she  was  looking  out  upon  the 
world  feeling  that  she  had  missed  the  best  things  in  life, 
but  yet  hungry  for  some  of  these  higher  values.     The 


The  Schools  61 


community  must  see  to  it  that  no  one  can  say :  "  I  passed 
through  the  world  and  missed  the  best  things  in  life."  It 
is  the  duty  of  every  community  to  appraise  the  true 
values  of  life,  to  train  every  life  to  admire  the  best,  to 
make  it  possible  for  every  one  to  possess  the  best  things 
in  life,  ever  remembering  that  the  ideal  of  Christ  and  the 
meaning  of  democracy  demand  the  whole  good  of  the  last 
man. 

FOR  CLASS  USE 

1.  Show  that  real  education  must  be  social. 

2.  Is  it  more  important  that  education  should  be  voca- 
tional than  that  it  should  be  cultural  ?     Why  ? 

3.  Discuss  character  development  in  education. 

4.  What  are  some  arguments  for  the  public-school 
system  ? 

5.  Discuss    some    shortcomings    in    the    public-school 

system. 

6.  Discuss  some  of  the  constructive  aims  that  should 
enter  into  a  positive  school  program. 

7.  References :  Welton,  "  What  Do  We  Mean  by  Edu- 
cation? "  ;  Cope,  "  Education  for  Democracy  "  ;  Coe,  "  A 
Social  Theory  of  Religious  Education";  Howe,  "The 
Philosophy  of  Education";  Dewey,  "Democracy  and 
Education  " ;  Rowe,  "  Society  " ;  Wilson,  "  Evolution  of 
a  Country  Community." 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  CITY  GOVERNMENT 

The  state,  according  to  the  accepted  definition,  is  the 
people  organized  in  a  political  capacity  in  behalf  of  the 
welfare  of  all.  Aristotle,  than  whom  no  clearer  thinker 
ever  lived,  maintained  that  "  civil  society  was  not  founded 
primarily  for  the  sake  of  preserving  and  increasing  prop- 
erty. Nor  was  civil  society  founded  merely  in  order 
that  its  members  might  live,  but  that  they  might  live 
well."  It  is  evident  that  a  state  is  not  a  mere  community 
or  place,  nor  is  it  established  for  the  sake  of  mutual 
safety  or  traffic.  "  A  state  is  a  society  of  people  joining 
together  with  their  families  and  their  children  to  live  well, 
for  the  sake  of  a  perfect  and  independent  life."  (Aris- 
totle, "  Politics,"  Book  III,  Chapter  2.)  "  The  end  of 
government,"  said  Locke,  "  is  the  good  of  mankind." 

A  community,  we  have  seen,  is  a  group  of  people  living 
together,  having  certain  interests  in  common  and  cooper- 
ating toward  definite  ends.  People  who  live  together 
must  come  into  relations  with  one  another.  These  rela- 
tions must  be  ordered  and  orderly  or  life  is  impossible. 
People  who  cooperate  toward  certain  ends  must  have 
ordered  and  recognized  methods.  There  must,  therefore, 
be  some  organization  which  shall  maintain  order  and  pro- 
mote the  common  good.  Whenever  we  have  any  body  of 
people  so  organized  that  a  central  institution  or  govern- 
ment takes  over  the  maintenance  and  development  of  the 
62 


The  City  Government  63 


essential  system  of  rights  and  obligations,  we  have  what 
is  properly  called  a  state.  (Maclver,  "Community/'  p. 
32.)  In  this  conception  the  state  is  an  association  for 
maintaining  social  order  and  promoting  the  common  good. 
And  in  this  conception  the  government  is  the  machinery 
of  the  state,  and  so  is  the  means  through  which  the  people 
cooperate  in  behalf  of  the  common  well-being. 

In  this  brief  study  we  cannot  deal  with  the  question  of 
the  state  in  its  larger  meaning.  We  must  limit  ourselves 
to  the  consideration  of  government  in  relation  to  the  life 
and  progress  of  the  community.  In  this  sense  city  gov- 
ernment is  the  authoritative  association  within  a  com- 
munity; and  it  is  the  means  through  which  the  people 
cooperate  in  promoting  community  ends.  It  is,  of  course, 
not  the  only  recognized  association  within  the  com- 
munity; but  it  has  a  mission  and  a  function  that  are 
most  vital. 

THE  PRESENT  NEED 

The  question  of  good  city  government  is  one  of  the 
most  important  in  every  community.  It  matters  little  to 
the  average  man  what  may  be  the  form  or  method  of 
government  in  the  state  and  nation.  But  it  matters  much 
to  every  one  whether  the  city  government  is  honest  and 
efficient.  For  national  government  touches  life  at  few 
points  and  has  to  do  with  such  things  as  national  security, 
taxation,  tariffs,  and  trade.  But  city  government  touches 
every  person  at  many  points  and  has  to  do  with  the  most 
vital  and  definite  interests.  It  protects  life  and  property; 
it  safeguards  the  health  and  homes  of  the  people ;  it  edu- 
cates the  children  and  enforces  the  laws;  in  fine,  it  is 
concerned  with  safety  and  health,  with  education  and 


64  Building  a  Community 

morality,  with  the  homes  and  lives  of  the  people.  Yet 
ten  people  are  interested  in  a  national  political  campaign 
in  which  partisan  issues  are  involved  where  one  is  inter- 
ested in  a  civic  campaign  on  non-partisan  issues  of  vital 
moment. 

The  question  of  an  efficient,  honest,  and  progressive 
administration  of  the  city's  affairs  is  one  of  the  most 
vital  at  this  hour.  Some  years  ago  Professor  Andrew 
D.  White  said  that  the  worst  governed  city  in  Europe  is 
better  than  the  best  governed  city  in  America.  There  are 
signs  not  a  few  of  a  great  improvement  in  the  govern- 
ment of  American  cities,  but  not  yet  have  we  attained. 
Many  of  our  cities  are  struggling  toward  the  light,  but  it 
is  a  hard  struggle  and  there  are  many  adversaries.  We 
cannot  here  name  all  of  these  difficulties,  nor  can  we  dis- 
cuss any  one  in  detail.  Two  or  three  things,  however, 
may  be  mentioned  in  passing. 

The  American  people  have  been  extreme  individualists 
and  have  given  little  attention  to  public  matters.  They 
have  been  devoted  to  money-making  and  have  had  little 
time  for  civic  questions.  Private  interests  have  sought 
special  favors  and  have  done  everything  in  their  power  to 
make  the  civic  administration  inefficient.  The  vice  in- 
terests have  formed  a  "  vice  bund  "  to  keep  strong  men 
out  of  public  office  and  to  defeat  progressive  measures. 

But  deeper  than  all,  and  more  serious  than  any,  is  the 
subtle  suspicion  between  the  churches  and  the  city  offi- 
cials. In  this  land  the  separation  of  church  and  state  has 
been  effected,  and  negatively  this  is  a  good  thing.  But  as 
usually  interpreted  this  means  the  exclusion  of  religion 
from  civic  affairs.  Church  people  have  stood  aside  and 
taken  little  interest  in  civic  affairs,  offering  as  a  plea: 


The  City  Government  65 

"  Our  citizenship  is  in  heaven."  There  has  been  the  feel- 
ing that  civic  and  political  matters  are  common  and  secu- 
lar, and  the  saintly  Christian  will  have  as  little  to  do  with 
them  as  possible.  As  a  consequence  Christian  men  have 
stood  aside  and  have  allowed  corrupt  and  selfish  interests 
to  nominate  officials  and  determine  the  civic  life. 

In  the  past  the  candidate  for  a  city  office  was  expected 
to  pass  a  kind  of  "  Civil  Service  Examination  "  in  the 
back  room  of  a  saloon.  More  than  once  it  has  happened 
that  a  city  councilman  has  declared  that  he  would  rather 
have  one  saloon  behind  him  than  a  hundred  churches. 
The  suspicion  between  the  churches  and  the  civic  admin- 
istration has  been  responsible  for  much  indifference  and 
neglect  on  one  side,  and  much  corruption  and  inefficiency 
on  the  other.  The  time  has  come  for  us  to  change  all 
this.  We  must  teach  men  to  be  good  citizens  in  their 
own  community.  If  heaven  is  a  city,  then  the  best  prepa- 
ration for  heaven  is  the  practise  of  citizenship  on  earth. 

One  other  thing  may  be  mentioned,  as  it  has  made  good 
city  government  in  American  cities  difficult;  and  that  is 
the  form  of  the  municipal  government  found  in  many 
of  the  cities.  It  is  easy,  of  course,  to  blame  the  defects 
of  any  system  upon  the  system  itself ;  whereas  much  of 
the  blame  must  rest  upon  the  men  who  use  the  system. 
But  we  may  have  a  system  which  makes  good  govern- 
ment doubly  difficult ;  and  we  may  have  a  different  system 
which  makes  it  comparatively  easy.  The  former  is  the 
system  that  has  been  found  in  many  of  the  American 
cities  until  the  last  few  years.  It  is  not  possible  here  to 
consider  the  defects  that  have  appeared  in  the  American 
system ;  but  we  may  note  several  of  the  conditions  neces- 
sary in  any  satisfactory  system. 

E 


66  Building  a  Community 


THE  CONDITIONS  OF  A  GOOD  SYSTEM 

In  our  efforts  to  secure  good  city  government  there  are 
several  important  items. 

1.  Direct  Responsibility 

We  must  have  a  system  of  government  which  is 
directly  responsible  to  the  people.  Thus  far  between 
the  people  and  the  government  there  have  been  many 
barriers  and  great  distances;  it  has  been  difficult  for 
the  people  to  know  what  their  servants  were  doing; 
and  it  has  been  almost  impossible  for  the  people  to 
make  their  will  known.  This  is  due  to  the  deep  and 
ingrained  distrust  of  the  people  which  appears  in  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  and  in  all  the  older 
city  charters. 

2.  Concentration  of  Authority 

We  must  have  a  concentration  of  authority  and  a  locali- 
zation of  responsibility.  This  has  not  been  the  case  in 
modern  cities ;  and  the  results  are  known  to  all.  In  fact, 
city  government  as  it  has  appeared  might  almost  be  called 
a  government  by  evasion  and  circumlocution.  We  must 
be  able  to  locate  responsibility,  and  must  have  direct 
accountability  of  officials  to  the  people.  Along  with  this 
we  must  have  some  means  whereby  we  may  check  up 
accounts  and  may  call  derelicts  to  book. 

3.  Consideration  of  Interests  of  All 

We  must  have  a  system  which  considers  the  interests 
of  the  city  as  a  whole.  The  system  long  in  vogue  with  a 
large  city  council  made  up  of  representatives  from  differ- 


The  City  Government  67 


ent  wards  of  the  city  is  a  system  of  atomism  and  section- 
alism; it  loses  the  sense  of  the  city  in  the  councilmen's 
concern  for  a  ward.  The  old  ward  system  encouraged 
local  selfishness;  it  proceeded  on  the  theory  that  by  a 
compromise  of  local  demands  we  could  evolve  a  just  city 
policy.  To  have  good  city  government  we  must  create  a 
presumption  against  local  selfishness  and  must  cherish  the 
ideal  of  a  united  city.  And  we  must  have  expert  man- 
agement of  public  affairs.  Democracy  does  not  mean  a 
dead  level  of  mediocrity;  on  the  contrary,  it  demands 
expert  leadership.  Democracy  proves  its  wisdom  when 
it  provides  methods  for  finding  such  leadership  and  plac- 
ing it  in  office.  Finally,  we  must  have  a  direct  veto  and 
a  direct  initiative  in  the  hands  of  the  people. 

4.  Intelligent  and  Courageous  Citizenship 

We  are  not  here  discussing  forms  and  methods  of  city 
government,  for  these  are  somewhat  incidental.  Almost 
any  system  will  produce  good  fruits  when  we  have  an 
intelligent,  alert,  conscientious,  and  courageous  citizen- 
ship. No  system  of  government  has  yet  been  devised 
that  the  people  can  go  away  and  leave.  As  De  Tocque- 
ville  long  ago  pointed  out,  governments  will  be  as  rascally 
and  inefficient  as  the  people  permit  them  to  be.  No  sys- 
tem, however  perfect,  will  run  itself  and  achieve  good 
results  where  the  people  are  indifferent,  supine,  self- 
centered,  and  pleasure-loving.  But  there  are  forms  and 
systems  which  make  it  easier  to  achieve  good  results,  and 
these  are  worthy  of  careful  consideration. 

In  these  latter  times  the  commission  form  of  city  gov- 
ernment has  come  into  operation  in  many  cities,  and  it  is 
found  that  it  meets  the  necessary  conditions  we  have 


68  Building  a  Community 

named ;  and  it  is  found  also  that  it  secures  good  results. 
City  government  becomes  more  efficient;  waste  is  saved 
and  corruption  is  eliminated ;  in  every  way  it  makes  for 
economy,  efficiency,  honesty,  progress.  Other  forms  are 
being  tried.  Every  community,  large  or  small,  should 
have  the  very  best  form  of  government  that  can  be  found. 
To  secure  this  the  people  should  study  closely  the  work- 
ings of  the  system  in  their  community  and  should  know 
both  its  advantages  and  its  defects.  They  should  not  be 
satisfied  till  they  have  found  that  form  of  government 
which  meets  all  of  the  necessary  conditions  and  achieves 
the  best  results.  To  be  satisfied  with  anything  less  than 
the  best  is  treason  against  the  truth. 

5.  Church  Must  Train  for  Citizenship 

Another  thing:  the  men  of  good  will  should  take  a 
direct  interest  in  civic  affairs.  The  churches  have  a  direct 
responsibility  at  this  point  which  they  should  accept  in 
good  faith,  the  duty  of  teaching  the  people  the  meaning 
of  citizenship  and  of  uniting  them  for  civic  action.  It 
would  not  be  wise,  if  it  were  possible,  for  the  churches 
to  enter  politics  and  nominate  candidates  and  propose 
ordinances.  But  the  churches  must  train  the  people  in 
the  theory  and  practice  of  citizenship.  The  churches 
must  teach  the  people  the  meaning  of  citizenship  and 
must  make  a  civic  conscience  in  the  community. 

The  churches  must  emphasize  the  divine  meaning  of 
government  and  must  make  the  mayor  and  policeman 
know  that  they  are  God's  "  deacons  "  in  the  city  unto 
men  for  good.  (Rom.  13:3-8.)  They  must  stimulate 
the  people  to  demand  high-grade  men  in  public  life  and 
must  inspire  them  to  take  such  action  as  will  secure  these 


The  City  Government  69 

results.  As  Professor  Carver  says :  "  If  as  much  effort 
as  is  now  being  expended  in  trying  to  contrive  a  fool- 
proof government  were  expended  in  teaching  the  people 
how  to  run  the  government  they  have,  and  how  to  dis- 
tinguish between  just  and  unjust  acts  of  government, 
more  real  progress  would  be  made." 

THE  VALUE  OF  COOPERATION 

In  the  program  of  community  redemption  the  Chris- 
tian workers  should  cooperate  in  every  way  with  the 
city  administration.  As  we  have  seen  in  an  earlier 
chapter,  we  must  use  existing  agencies  and  make  these 
means  in  securing  results.  Yet,  as  we  have  also  seen 
elsewhere,  thus  far  the  Christian  worker  has  long 
cherished  a  subtle  suspicion  concerning  the  religious- 
ness of  effort  in  and  through  political  agencies.  This 
attitude  of  the  church  is  in  part  a  survival  of  the  age- 
long suspicion  of  government  and  has  been  confirmed 
by  the  theory  that  the  church  and  state  must  have  as 
little  as  possible  in  common.  Happily  this  suspicion 
on  the  part  of  either  toward  the  other  is  passing,  and 
we  are  coming  to  see  that  while  church  and  state  must 
differ  in  function  they  yet  are  seeking  the  same  ends 
and  can  be  sympathetic  in  spirit. 

1.  Federated  Committee  on  Conference 

First  of  all  the  federated  churches  of  the  city  or  the 
ministers'  association  may  well  have  a  committee  on  con- 
ference with  the  civic  administration.  This  committee 
should  confer  and  not  criticize;  it  should  know  what 
public  officials  are  doing  and  support  them  in  all  good 


70  Building  a  Community 

measures.  There  will  be  some  hope  of  permanent  im- 
provement in  civic  affairs  when  the  old  antagonism  be- 
tween the  church  and  state  ceases  and  people  learn  to 
take  a  sympathetic  attitude  toward  the  civic  administra- 
tion. (Cutting,  "  The  Church  and  Society,"  Chapter  III.) 
More  than  this,  the  people  of  good  will  should  maintain 
the  most  friendly  and  cooperative  relations  with  the  pub- 
lic schools  and  the  board  of  health;  they  should  know 
what  the  juvenile  court  is  doing  and  should  cooperate 
with  it;  in  every  way  possible  they  should  use  existing 
agencies  and  should  seek  to  develop  their  highest  social 
efficiency. 

2.  Assisting  the  Police  Department 

One  of  the  most  important  factors  in  the  work  of  civic 
redemption  is  the  police  department.  In  most  of  our 
cities,  for  "  a  time  to  which  the  memory  of  man  runneth 
not  the  contrary,"  church  people  have  regarded  the  police 
department  with  confirmed  suspicion,  if  not  positive  op- 
position. The  churches  have  not  honored  the  police  offi- 
cers as  servants  of  the  Kingdom;  they  have  done  little 
to  secure  the  appointment  of  high-grade  men  to  the  police 
department ;  they  have  seldom  cooperated  with  this  de- 
partment in  a  sympathetic  and  friendly  way.  This  sus- 
picion has  kept  good  men  from  the  police  force;  this 
indifference  has  made  it  impossible  for  a  good  man  to  do 
his  whole  duty.  The  average  police  officer,  whether 
chief,  captain,  patrolman,  or  detective,  is  a  man,  and  very 
like  other  folks.  He  is  good  or  bad  as  he  is  expected  to 
be.  In  a  recent  volume  a  writer  of  large  experience  gives 
some  interesting  testimony  on  this  point  which  is  worthy 
of  careful  consideration.     If  the  churches  would  cooper- 


The  City  Government  71 

ate  with  the  police  department,  they  might  render  the  city 
a  large  service ;  if  they  would  cooperate  in  a  sympathetic 
way,  better  men  would  soon  be  found  on  the  police  force. 
(Cutting,  "The  Church  and  Society,"  Chapters  II  and 
III.) 

There  are  several  things  that  churches  can  do  in  this 
direction.  The  first  thing  is  a  revaluation  of  the  police 
department.  In  the  time  past  the  functions  of  govern- 
ment have  been  mainly  repressive  and  negative;  it  was 
the  business  of  the  police  department  to  protect  life  and 
property  and  suppress  violence  and  crime.  But  in  our 
time  we  are  coming  into  a  larger  and  truer  conception  of 
government,  and  are  beginning  to  realize  that  it  has 
many  positive  and  promotive  functions ;  it  is  the  business 
of  the  police  department  to  promote  public  morality  and 
perform  a  social  service. 

This  is  certain;  that  no  position  in  the  community 
offers  a  larger  opportunity  for  helpful  and  constructive 
service.  A  good  patrolman  can  know  every  person  on 
his  beat ;  he  can  know  the  evil  and  the  good  influences  at 
work  in  his  district.  He  can  be  the  trusted  adviser  of 
many ;  he  can  warn  those  who  are  going  wrong ;  he  can 
protect  the  innocent ;  he  can  shepherd  the  lambs  from  the 
prowling  wolves. 

The  primary  function  of  the  federated  committee  is  to 
cooperate,  and  not  to  criticize.  Criticism  may  be  neces- 
sary ;  but  it  should  always  be  based  upon  full  knowledge 
and  should  be  constructive  in  spirit.  In  this  way  the 
police  department  can  be  greatly  aided  in  its  work;  it 
can  become  more  efficient  in  preventing  crime ;  the  people 
of  the  churches  will  find  many  open  doors  of  service,  and 
the  redeeming  grace  of  God  will  reach  many  lives.    The 


72  Building  a  Community 

police  department  with  low  ideals,  directed  by  men  of 
doubtful  morality,  regarded  with  suspicion  by  the 
churches,  and  given  over  to  the  domination  of  the  vice 
interests,  can  become  one  of  the  most  baleful  influences 
in  a  city  and  can  stand  in  the  way  of  civic  redemption. 
But  the  police  department  with  high  ideals,  managed  by 
capable  men,  and  aided  by  the  men  of  good  will,  can 
become  a  mighty  power  for  good  in  any  community. 

The  churches  also  can  perform  a  large  service  by  co- 
operating with  the  city  in  creating  a  school  for  the  train- 
ing of  men  for  police  work.  The  nation  maintains 
military  and  naval  schools  to  train  men  for  service  of  the 
nation.  The  state  maintains  the  public-school  system 
from  primary  grade  to  university,  to  prepare  citizens  for 
public  service.  In  like  manner  and  for  the  same  reason 
the  cities  must  maintain  schools  to  prepare  men  for  ser- 
vice as  police  officers.  If  trained  men  are  needed  any- 
where they  are  needed  here ;  and  they  will  be  needed  more 
and  more  in  the  days  to  come  as  the  state  becomes  more 
promotive  in  its  work  and  as  the  police  department  under- 
stands its  true  function.  The  police  officer  should  be 
honored  as  a  servant  of  the  community,  and  his  service 
should  be  appraised  at  its  true  value.  His  work  should 
be  regarded  as  a  profession,  and  high-grade  men  should 
be  required. 

The  city  should  maintain  schools  where  men  in  prepa- 
ration for  positions  for  police  officers  should  receive  a 
special  training.  They  should  be  trained  as  social  work- 
ers, and  should  have  courses  in  hygiene  and  sanitation, 
in  treatment  of  children  and  care  of  delinquents.  They 
should  be  expected  to  be  advisers  of  the  poor  and  friends 
of  the  unfortunate.     They  should,  therefore,  be  high- 


The  City  Government  73 


grade  men  with  ideals  of  public  duty  and  honored  soldiers 
of  the  common  welfare.  They  should  receive  an  adequate 
salary  and  should  have  proper  hours  and  should  work 
under  rightful  conditions.  They  should  be  men  and 
women  chosen  for  this  honorable  office  on  the  sole  ground 
of  physical,  mental,  and  moral  fitness,  and  the  tenure  of 
officers  should  depend  wholly  upon  the  faithful  discharge 
of  their  duties. 

3.  Unlimited  Possibilities  for  Service 

These  are  only  illustrations  of  what  may  be  done  by 
the  people  in  and  through  the  city  government.  Since 
community  government  is  cooperation  of  all  in  behalf  of 
all,  there  is  really  no  limit  to  the  things  that  may  be  done 
in  and  through  the  city  government.  In  any  large  city  a 
list  containing  a  thousand  things  that  are  done  by  the 
government  could  easily  be  given.  These  range  all  the 
way  from  care  of  the  highways  to  the  management  of  a 
library,  and  embrace  such  vital  concerns  as  health  and 
education,  public  morality,  and  supervision  of  housing. 
Every  year  the  functions  of  city  government  are  increas- 
ing; and  more  and  more  government  will  hold  a  vital 
relation  to  the  higher  life  of  all.  The  chief  concern  just 
now  is  not  so  much  an  increase  in  the  functions  of  city 
government,  but  a  growing  determination  to  have  these 
functions  performed  better. 

FOR  CLASS  USE 

1.  Discuss  the  relation  of  the  city  to  the  state. 

2.  Why  is  the  question  of  good  city  government  of 
such  vital  importance? 


74  Building  a  Community 

3.  Discuss  three  of  the  most  important  of  the  condi- 
tions of  a  good  system  of  city  government. 

4.  Show  how  the  Christian  workers  may  cooperate 
with  the  city  administration  in  ways  other  than  those  sug- 
gested in  this  chapter. 

5.  References :  Munro,  "  The  Government  of  Ameri- 
can Cities  "  ;  Wilcox,  "  The  American  City  " ;  Cutting, 
"The  Church  and  Society,"  Chapter  III;  Ward  and 
Edwards,  "  Christianizing  Community  Life,"  Chapters 
IX,  XI ;  Holt,  "  The  Bible  a  Community  Book  " ;  Strong, 
"The  Challenge  of  the  City";  Howe,  "The  City  the 
Hope  of  Democracy  " ;  Addams,  "  The  Spirit  of  Youth 
and  the  City  Streets  " ;  Sears,  "  The  Redemption  of  the 
City";  Follett,  "The  New  State";  Devine,  "Social 
Work,"  Chapter  XI. 


CHAPTER  V 
HOUSING  AND  HOMES 

The  Bible  is  a  book  of  the  family.  In  a  sense  it  grew 
out  of  the  family,  and  so  it  places  a  high  value  upon  it. 
It  regards  life  in  the  family  as  man's  normal  life,  and 
it  treats  sin  against  the  family  as  the  most  heinous  of  all. 
In  the  divine  will,  adequate  provision  is  made  for  the 
family  and  every  precaution  is  taken  to  ensure  its  pro- 
tection. The  prophet  foresees  the  day  when  every  family 
shall  have  its  own  home ;  one  of  the  most  alluring  hopes 
of  the  future  is  that  men  shall  sit  each  under  his  own  vine 
and  fig  tree.  The  Son  of  man  was  born  into  a  human 
home  and  grew  up  as  a  member  of  a  family.  The  City 
of  God  is  built  on  earth  as  fast  as  true  homes  are  found 
in  it. 

In  this  brief  study  it  does  not  fall  within  our  purpose 
to  consider  the  origin  and  meaning  of  the  family.  We 
cannot  discuss  the  function  it  fulfils  in  the  training  of 
life  and  the  service  it  can  render  to  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
We  are  concerned  here  primarily  with  the  home  as  the 
shelter  of  the  family;  we  note  some  of  the  things  that 
menace  the  home ;  we  consider  some  of  the  things  the 
community  must  do  to  protect  and  promote  the  home — 
that  thus  the  home  may  render  the  largest  service  to  the 
community  itself.  "  Domestic  life,"  said  Cardinal  Man- 
ning, "  creates  a  nation.  The  state  interested  in  its  own 
welfare  will  give  the  home  first  consideration/'     "  Ques- 

75 


76  Building  a  Community 

tions  like  the  tariff,"  said  Theodore  Roosevelt,  "  have 
absolutely  no  meaning  in  the  presence  of  the  supreme 
duty  of  preserving  the  family,  the  primary  unit  of 
society." 

HOUSING  CONDITIONS 

It  has  been  pointed  out  by  a  recent  writer  that  in  the 
narrative  in  Genesis  there  is  a  marked  antagonism  be- 
tween the  family  and  the  city.  It  was  Cain,  red-handed 
from  the  murder  of  his  brother,  who  built  the  first  city. 
All  through  the  narrative  the  city  with  its  sin  and  tyranny 
is  set  over  against  the  family  with  its  purity  and  freedom. 
(Smith,  "The  Bible  Doctrine  of  Society,"  Chapter  I.) 
However  this  may  be,  we  must  recognize  the  fact  that 
many  things  in  our  modern  communities  menace  the 
home. 

At  bottom  the  fundamental  difference  between  barbar- 
ism and  civilization  is  measured  in  the  condition  of  the 
home.  In  a  barbarous  condition  there  is  little  real  home- 
life  ;  the  people  are  more  or  less  nomads,  and  true  home- 
life  does  not  exist.  As  we  rise  in  the  scale  we  find  that 
the  home  is  becoming  more  stable  and  has  a  fixed  habita- 
tion. More  than  that,  we  find  that  it  becomes  more  than 
a  mere  dwelling-place  and  is  becoming  both  a  school  of 
life  and  an  agency  of  social  progress.  It  is  in  the  home 
that  life  receives  its  earliest  training.  It  is  in  the  home 
that  human  beings  are  trained  in  the  art  of  living  together. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  that  a  large  proportion  of  delin- 
quents have  had  no  proper  home-life.  It  is  a  noteworthy 
fact  also,  that  the  great  saints  and  servants  of  the  church, 
the  men  and  women  who  have  done  most  for  God  and 
man,  have  come  from  Christian  homes.     It  is  in  relation 


Housing  and  Homes  77 

to  the  home  and  its  well-being  that  we  may  measure  some 
of  the  conditions  and  tendencies  in  modern  life.  Three 
aspects  of  this  question  may  be  noted :  Bad  housing,  un- 
satisfactory home-life,  and  the  difficulty  of  home-owning. 

1.  Bad  Housing 

In  our  time  we  have  awakened  to  the  fact  that  many 
people  are  badly  housed,  and  that  this  evil  lies  at  the  root 
of  many  other  evils.  Bad  housing  is  responsible  for 
much  sickness  and  many  deaths.  It  is  a  potent  cause  in 
the  break-up  of  families  and  the  delinquency  of  children. 
Since  this  is  so,  it  is  evident  that  any  real  program  of 
community-building  must  give  large  attention  to  this 
question.  And  our  program  here  must  have  two  aspects ; 
we  must  seek  to  cure  bad  housing,  and  we  must  secure 
good  housing. 

What  is  bad  housing?  In  a  broad  sense  it  may  be 
said  that  bad  housing  means  any  condition  which  tends 
to  impair  the  health  and  morality  of  the  tenants.  In 
relation  to  the  family,  bad  housing  means  any  condition 
which  menaces  the  physical  health  and  moral  life  of  the 
people.  Judging  by  this  standard  we  find  that  bad  hous- 
ing exists  in  many  communities,  not  only  in  the  large 
cities,  but  in  nearly  all  communities  without  regard  to 
size. 

Several  things  enter  into  this  condition  called  bad  hous- 
ing that  may  be  mentioned,  such  as  lack  of  air  and  sun- 
light, lack  of  privacy  and  unsanitary  conditions,  over- 
crowding and  liability  to  disease.  Bad  housing,  accord- 
ing to  the  best  authorities,  consists  in  houses  that  are  (a) 
poorly  lighted;  (b)  poorly  ventilated;  (c)  damp;  (d) 
imperfectly  drained;  (e)  exposed  to  undue  fire  peril;  (/) 


78  Building  a  Community 

in  bad  repair;  (g)  vermin  infested;  (h)  disease  infected; 
(i)  with  uncleanly  surroundings;  (/)  with  insufficient 
water-supply;  (k)  without  toilet  accommodations  ade- 
quate for  comfort,  privacy,  and  cleanliness;  (/)  with 
defective  plumbing;  (m)  with  overcrowded  rooms;  (w) 
with  cellar  tenements.  One  of  these  defects  proves  bad 
housing,  but  houses  grade  from  bad  to  worse  according 
to  the  number  of  defects  present. 

The  results  of  bad  housing  are  many,  and  affect  men 
all  along  the  line.  Bad  housing  is  dangerous  to  moral 
and  physical  health,  to  personal  and  social  welfare.  Bad 
housing  promotes  (a)  industrial  inefficiency;  (b)  in- 
ebriety; (c)  dependence;  (d)  poverty;  (e)  disease;  (/) 
death;  (g)  juvenile  delinquency;  (h)  debased  citizen- 
ship; (i)  vice  and  crime;  (/)  degeneracy  of  race.  It 
betrays  a  sad  lack  of  discrimination  to  hold  bad  housing 
alone  responsible  for  the  high  rate  of  sickness  and  the 
inefficiency  of  the  tenants.  For  bad  housing  with  serious 
overcrowding  is  due  in  large  part  to  poverty  and  igno- 
rance. People  who  crowd  into  rooms  in  disregard  of 
health  and  decency  are  usually  weak  and  underfed;  so 
that  bad  housing  may  be  called  a  contributing  cause  and 
not  the  sole  cause.  It  is  true  today  as  of  old  that  "  the 
destruction  of  the  poor  is  their  poverty."  The  poor  and 
beaten  are  driven  into  overcrowded  tenements,  and  bad 
housing  conditions  complete  the  work  of  destruction. 

In  Berlin  investigations  show  a  direct  relation  between 
housing  conditions  and  the  death-rate.  Thus  the  death- 
rate  in  families  occupying  one  room  is  163.5  per  thou- 
sand; in  families  occupying  two  rooms  22.5  per  thou- 
sand ;  in  families  occupying  three  rooms  7.5  per  thousand ; 
in  families  occupying  four  rooms  and  over  5.4  per  thou- 


Housing  and  Homes  79 


sand.  (Riis,  "  Charities  and  Commons,"  Vol.  XVIII, 
p.  77.)  Recent  investigations  among  the  school  children 
in  Glasgow  show  that  boys  from  one-roomed  families  are 
12.9  lbs.  lighter  and  5  inches  shorter  on  an  average  than 
boys  of  the  same  age  from  four-roomed  families;  and 
girls  from  one-roomed  families  are  14  lbs.  lighter  and 
5.3  inches  shorter  than  girls  of  the  same  age  from  four- 
roomed  families.     Other  cities  yield  practically  the  same 

results. 

The  results  of  bad  housing,  including  insanitation  and 
overcrowding,  are  marked  in  the  whole  life  of  man. 
Some  years  ago  a  friend  of  mine  who  was  investigating 
conditions  took  a  lodging  in  a  crowded  tenement  in  the 
East  Side  of  New  York.  He  awoke  in  the  morning  with 
a  dull  headache  and  a  feeling  of  nausea,  having  a  bad 
taste  in  the  mouth,  and  craving  a  stimulant  of  some  kind. 
He  then  understood  for  the  first  time  why  it  is  that  so 
many  people  take  to  drink.  "The  destruction  of  the 
poor  is  their  poverty." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  overcrowding  is  a  menace 
to  the  moral  life  of  the  family.  Where  an  entire  family 
live  in  one  room,  eating,  sleeping,  and  working  in  sight  of 
one  another,  it  is  evident  that  modesty  is  practically  im- 
possible and  morality  is  doubly  difficult.  How  much 
more  difficult  is  it  to  be  moral  and  modest  when  two  or 
more  different  families  live  in  the  same  room.  Some  of 
the  finest  graces  of  the  spiritual  life  can  grow  only  in 
quiet  and  retirement.  The  religious  life  requires  some 
opportunity  for  prayer  and  meditation.  But  these  are  all 
impossible  in  an  overcrowded  room.  The  people  who  are 
interested  in  the  moral  and  religious  life  of  their  fellows 
must  perforce  be  interested  in  this  question  of  bad  hous- 


80  Building  a  Community 

ing.  To  seek  the  spiritual  welfare  of  people,  but  to  do 
nothing  to  make  the  spiritual  life  possible,  is  an  evasion 
of  duty  that  is  as  foolish  as  it  is  misguided. 

The  conditions  of  true  home-life  are  impossible  in  over- 
crowded rooms.  There  can  be  little,  if  any,  home-life 
with  a  family  of  eight  persons  living  in  a  single  room  not 
more  than  fifteen  feet  square.  There  is  hardly  space  for 
the  persons  to  turn  around  without  getting  in  one  another's 
way.  It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  both  parents  and 
children  spend  just  as  little  time  at  home  as  possible. 
The  man  goes  to  the  street,  to  the  poolroom,  or  to  the 
corner  saloon.  The  young  people  go  out  to  roam  the 
streets,  to  go  to  the  cheap  shows  and  dance-halls.  Young 
men  and  young  women  having  no  place  where  they  can 
meet  for  social  fellowship  are  driven  to  the  streets,  to 
the  cheap  shows,  the  dance-halls,  or  worse.  That  many 
fall  into  evil  ways  is  what  might  be  expected.  That  many 
more  do  not  go  to  pieces  morally  is  due  to  some  innate 
nobleness  of  human  nature  rather  than  to  any  help  from 
society.  Some  years  ago  a  police  judge  in  New  York 
City  said  :  "  There  are  thousands  of  families  in  this  city — 
I  had  almost  said  a  majority — where  the  rearing  of  two 
more  children  means  a  girl  for  the  brothel  and  a  boy  for 
the  penitentiary." 

2.  Unsatisfactory  Home-life 

There  is  a  marked  tendency  in  modern  society  toward 
what  we  shall  call  unsatisfactory  home-life.  This  is  due 
to  the  growth  of  tenement-  and  apartment-houses.  In 
recent  years  this  has  been  most  marked ;  and  the  evil  is 
not  limited  to  a  few  large  cities,  but  is  growing  at  a 
rapid  rate  in  smaller  cities  and  towns.     In  New  York 


Housing  and  Homes  81 


City  this  tendency  has  been  carried  farther  than  in  any 
other  city.  Here  over  ninety  per  cent  of  the  people  live 
in  tenements  and  apartments  with  anywhere  from  four  to 
fifty  families  in  a  building.  Several  things  may  be  noted. 
We  have  the  families  crowded  into  limited  space.  As 
a  rule  some  of  the  inner  rooms  are  ill-lighted,  where  they 
are  not  dark.  The  families  are  found  on  all  floors,  and 
many  members  have  little  direct  contact  with  the  earth. 
Home-owning  is  out  of  the  question,  and  thus  the  families 
move  frequently  and  have  few  attachments.  A  tenement 
population  is  nomadic,  and  this  is  an  evil  tendency.  More 
than  this,  in  many  of  the  better  grade  apartments  children 
are  not  wanted.  In  some  cities  in  high-priced  apart- 
ments children  are  not  allowed.  Cases  are  known  where 
in  the  contract  it  is  provided  that  if  a  child  is  born  into  a 
family  this  fact  works  a  cancellation  of  the  lease.  This 
is  a  barbarous  condition,  and  is  unworthy  of  a  civilized 
society. 

3.  The  Difficulty  of  Home-owning 

The  modern  social  and  industrial  development  is  mak- 
ing home-owning  ever  more  difficult.  The  industrial 
revolution  has  been  accompanied  by  the  growth  of  great 
cities.  With  the  rise  of  the  factory  system  there  came 
the  upgrowth  of  the  factory  town.  This  has  massed  the 
workers  in  these  centers,  and  has  increased  the  value  of 
the  land.  Wages  paid  wage-earners  have  been  small,  and 
this  has  made  home-buying  almost  impossible.  This  is 
not  all,  but  a  large  proportion  of  wage-workers  are  more 
or  less  migrant,  with  no  permanent  tenure  of  employment 
and  no  permanence  of  residence.  In  many  industries  a 
large  proportion  of  workers  are  out  of  employment  for  a 


82  Building  a  Community 


considerable  part  of  the  year.  The  man  who  owns  a 
home  is  tied  to  one  place  and  cannot  offer  his  labor  at 
another  place.  To  own  a  home  is  to  limit  one's  freedom 
and  mobility.  For  the  average  worker  to  buy  a  home  on 
the  instalment  plan  is  giving  hostages  to  fortune.  It  is 
certain  that  the  man  who  removes  his  family  to  any 
industrial  community  and  begins  buying  a  home  is  run- 
ning a  big  risk.  In  the  first  place  he  is  dependent  upon 
the  one  industry  for  his  income.  In  the  next  place  he  is 
often  dependent  upon  the  whim  of  a  manager  or  boss. 
So  he  may  be  thrown  out  of  employment  without  reason 
or  redress.  If  he  is  driven  by  necessity  to  acquiesce  in 
conditions  which  injure  his  self-respect,  he  is  reduced  to 
the  position  of  an  industrial  serf. 

The  results  of  this  condition  are  very  marked.  Many 
families  are  reverting  to  the  nomadic  manner  of  life. 
They  are  here  today  and  gone  tomorrow.  The  conse- 
quence is  that  the  family  life  is  uncertain  and  unstable. 
The  tendrils  of  life  have  no  time  to  entwine  themselves 
into  the  life  of  the  community.  The  family  forms  few 
attachments,  and  the  children  are  never  fully  socialized. 
The  family  pays  the  forfeit.  Thus  the  modern  industrial 
development  is  making  against  a  stable  and  real  home 
life.  All  honor  to  those  parents  who,  with  all  these  handi- 
caps, are  trying  to  make  a  home  and  are  training  their 
children  in  the  way  of  the  Lord.  But  society  must  ease 
this  pressure  and  must  make  it  more  easy  for  all  parents 
to  do  the  same. 

SUGGESTED  REMEDIES 

Our  efforts,  to  be  fully  effective,  must  take  all  factors 
into  account  and  must  work  along  various  lines.     Three 


Housing  and  Homes  83 

main  things  may  be  noted,  and  our  efforts  will  be  grouped 
under  these. 

1.  Cure  Bad  Housing 

We  must  recognize  the  fact  that  in  all  of  our  com- 
munities houses  are  erected  and  will  be  used.  As  fast  as 
possible  defects  should  be  corrected  and  improvements 
made.  But  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  all  of  these  com- 
munities are  rebuilt  on  more  human  and  moral  lines. 
Some  lines  of  action  are  pretty  well  denned. 

The  prevention  and  cure  of  bad  housing  conditions 
are  the  ends  we  seek.  To  attain  this  an  effort  must  be 
made. 

( 1 )  Every  new  building  and  tenement  must  be  so  con- 
structed as  to  afford  suitable  living  accommodations. 

(2)  Every  old  house  not  now  fit  for  habitation  must 
either  be  demolished  or  improved  so  as  to  become  fit. 

(3)  Every  habitation,  new  or  old,  must  be  maintained 
in  good  repair  and  sanitary  condition.  ( Ball,  "  Housing 
Problems  in  America,"  pp.  33,  34.) 

To  secure  these  results  several  things  must  be  done. 
The  first  is  to  create  an  informed  and  active  conscience 
which  will  be  quick  to  hold  every  responsible  party  to 
strict  account  for  these  evil  conditions.  We  must  teach 
that  rents  or  dividends  extorted  from  the  people  in  such 
tenements  are  blood-money.  We  must  dare  to  say  that 
it  is  just  as  wicked  to  kill  a  family  by  renting  it  an  unsani- 
tary tenement  as  to  throw  strychnine  into  the  milk-bottle. 
We  need  a  new  conscience  that,  with  a  whip  of  small 
cords,  will  lash  the  owner  of  a  "  lunger  hovel "  out  of 
social  fellowship. 

We  must  not  stop  here,  but  must  secure  state  and  civic 


84  Building  a  Community 

regulations.  We  must  accept  the  principle  that  bad 
housing  is  not  necessary,  but  can  be  cured  and  prevented. 
To  this  end  we  must  have  both  a  good  building  code 
and  a  good  housing  code.  The  building  code  should 
provide  (1)  that  only  a  certain  percentage  of  the  land 
shall  be  built  upon;  this  may  range  from  50  to  70  per 
cent,  according  to  the  height  of  the  building;  (2)  it 
should  contain  certain  definite  provisions  with  respect  to 
courts  and  spaces;  (3)  it  should  contain  regulations 
governing  the  use  of  basements  and  cellars  and  defining 
how  much  of  a  room  used  for  resident  purposes  may 
be  below  the  surface-level;  (4)  it  should  contain  positive 
regulations  forbidding  the  construction  of  buildings  hav- 
ing dark,  unventilated  rooms,  and  with  minimum  require- 
ments for  floor-space,  size  of  windows,  etc.;  (5)  it 
should  contain  provisions  which  will  ensure  adequate  and 
sanitary  plumbing  conveniences.  (See  Veiller,  "Model 
Tenements,"  House  Law  I.) 

The  housing  code  should  cover  all  other  items  not  speci- 
fied above.  It  should  require  a  certain  number  of  cubic 
feet  of  air  for  each  person;  it  should  contain  provisions 
also  covering  proper  and  systematic  inspection  and  carry- 
ing sufficient  penalties  for  the  violation  on  the  part  of 
responsible  parties.  But  beyond  this  in  the  interests  of 
the  family  there  should  be  requirements  with  respect  to 
the  number  of  rooms  and  the  guarantee  of  privacy.  The 
integrity  and  the  solidarity  of  the  family  are  at  stake, 
and  these  are  primary  considerations.  No  city  should 
permit  unsanitary  and  unfit  tenements  to  be  erected  and 
to  remain,  for  they  mean  physical  deterioration  and  make 
real  family  life  impossible. 

In  many  cities  in  Britain  and  on  the  Continent  society 


Housing  and  Homes  85 

has  recognized  its  obligation  in  this  direction.  Many 
cities  have  bought  whole  blocks  of  defective  tenements, 
torn  down  old  buildings,  and  built  model  tenements  in 
their  place.  These  are  rented  at  fair  rates ;  in  this  way 
society  is  doing  much  to  save  the  family.  In  older  cities 
this  is  the  necessary  course,  and  the  time  has  come  for 
society  to  recognize  its  obligations.  No  self-respecting 
community  will  permit  itself  to  be  stopped  in  this  neces- 
sary and  righteous  work  by  any  reactionary  cries  about 
paternal  government,  socialism,  and  what  not.  Some 
owners  will  plead  vested  rights  and  will  oppose  all  such 
legislation.  But  many  so-called  rights  may  become  great 
vested  wrongs. 

The  best  laws  will  fail  unless  they  are  enforced.  There 
may,  therefore,  be  in  any  community  some  body  or  com- 
mittee that  will  study  housing  conditions,  that  will  make 
public  the  facts,  and  will  secure  the  necessary  action. 
The  best  thing,  however,  is  for  the  people  in  every  com- 
munity to  be  watchful  and  alert  and  thus  head  off  the 
slums.  It  is  easy  to  determine  the  mold  and  so  to  deter- 
mine the  form  of  the  cast.  For  when  once  the  mold  is 
made  and  the  metal  has  cooled,  we  make  slow  progress 
filing  a  cold  casting.  Cure  present  evil  housing  condi- 
tions and  prevent  such  conditions  in  the  future.  The 
constructive  program  of  housing  reform  is  thus  stated : 
"  The  providing  of  healthful  accommodations,  adequately 
provided  with  facilities  for  privacy  and  comfort,  easily 
accessible  to  centers  of  employment,  culture,  and  amuse- 
ment, accessible  from  the  centers  of  distribution  of  the 
food  supply,  rentable  at  reasonable  rates  and  yielding  a 
fair  return  on  the  investment."  (Carol  Aronovici,  in 
"  National  Municipal  Review,"  Vol.  II,  No.  2,  1913.) 


86  Building  a  Community 

2.  Provide  Adequate  Housing 

In  all  lands  at  present  there  is  a  serious  shortage  of 
houses,  and  this  must  be  met  and  remedied.  We  must 
recognize  the  fact  that  there  is  no  easy  solution  of  this 
problem.  It  is  a  very  complex  problem  and  is  not  to 
be  solved  by  any  offhand  measures. 

There  are  several  principles  that  enter  into  this 
problem  and  must  be  worked  out  in  effective  measures. 
These  are  based  upon  the  conclusions  of  many  careful 
statements  of  the  whole  housing  question ;  we  give  a 
short  summary  of  these  measures : 

(1)  Land  must  not  be  held  out  of  use  for  specula- 
tion, but  must  be  freed  for  community  use. 

(2)  Values  created  by  the  community  belong  to  the 
community. 

(3)  The  credit-power  of  the  community  must  be 
made  available  for  the  building  of  homes. 

(4)  The  housing  of  a  city's  population  is  a  public 
service,  and  it  should  be  so  regarded. 

(5)  The  city  should  have  a  comprehensive  study 
and  program  of  city-planning  and  house-building. 

(6)  Transportation  should  be  so  planned  as  to  give 
rapid  transit  to  the  suburbs  and  to  relieve  congestion. 

(7)  Community  ownership  and  control  of  land  and 
houses  by  cooperative  building  societies  should  be 
made  possible. 

(8)  The  city  and  state  should  encourage  and  make 
possible  the  widest  possible  ownership  of  homes. 

(9)  Engineers,  architects,  and  workers,  and  not 
mere  selfish  speculators  must  be  made  "  the  rightful 
masters  in  the  task  of  providing  homes  for  man." 


Housing  and  Homes  87 

(10)  Housing  is  a  public  service  that  must  be 
placed  under  the  charge  of  a  state  housing  commission 
with  comprehensive  regulations  and  adequate  authority 
to  adjust  all  questions. 

3.  Promote  Home-owning 

To  ensure  home-owning  several  things  are  essential. 

(1)  We  must  secure  for  each  family  an  adequate  in- 
come. The  question  of  an  adequate  economic  basis  for 
the  family  is  one  of  the  most  vital  before  us.  An  ade- 
quate income  is  a  prime  essential  in  any  program  of 
family  preservation.  Without  this  all  other  efforts  will 
accomplish  little.  With  this  secured  all  things  become 
possible.  Society  must  do  everything  possible  to  set  the 
family  on  its  feet,  prepare  its  members  for  efficiency,  and 
provide  an  open  opportunity.  Then  the  family  must 
work  out  its  own  salvation. 

(2)  We  must  secure  permanency  of  residence  and 
guarantee  continuance  of  employment.  Everyone  recog- 
nizes the  fact  that  there  are  certain  seasonal  industries ; 
and  in  these  it  may  be  difficult  to  secure  the  conditions 
we  desire.  But  much  can  be  done  to  regularize  employ- 
ment and  provide  continuous  work.  Working  people 
have  done  much  to  protect  themselves  and  increase  their 
security  by  labor  organizations.  Intelligent  employers 
are  more  and  more  coming  to  see  that  irregular  employ- 
ment reduces  the  working  efficiency  of  workers  and 
means  a  large  labor  turnover ;  and  so  they  are  introducing 
more  system  into  industry.  Leverhulme,  "  The  Six-hour 
Shift.") 

(3)  We  must  effect  such  changes  in  the  social  and  in- 
dustrial order  as  will  give  the  workers  a  direct  stake  in 


88  Building  a  Community 

industry.  To  ensure  a  satisfactory  home-life  we  must 
secure  a  permanency  of  residence;  to  secure  this  per- 
manency of  residence  we  must  guarantee  continuance  of 
employment  and  adequate  wages;  to  guarantee  these  we 
must  effect  some  radical  changes  in  the  social  and  indus- 
trial order  and  give  the  workers  a  direct  stake  in  the  in- 
dustry. 

There  are  no  single  reforms,  we  begin  to  see;  we 
cannot  save  man  at  one  point  until  we  save  him  at  all 
points;  the  redemption  of  society  is  an  organic  process 
and  must  take  every  factor  into  account.  The  question 
of  an  adequate  income  enters  into  this  problem ;  so  does 
the  question  of  city-planning  and  transportation;  it  in- 
volves also  the  question  of  industrial  processes  and  labor 
conditions ;  above  all,  it  involves  the  question  of  dis- 
tributive justice  and  industrial  democracy.  Society  must 
know  why  home-owning  is  undesirable  for  many  workers 
today  and  why  it  is  impossible  for  others.  It  should  then 
resolutely  deal  with  these  causes  and  should  make  home- 
owning  both  possible  and  desirable  for  all. 

(4)  Beyond  all  these  things,  which  in  a  sense  are 
partial,  there  must  be  a  wise  program  of  city-planning 
in  the  interests  of  the  people  and  their  homes.  Our  cities 
are  unclean,  unsanitary,  unattractive,  and  unheavenly. 
And  they  will  be  so  as  long  as  individualism  reigns,  as 
long  as  each  thinks  of  the  city  as  a  place  of  profit  and 
not  of  service,  as  long  as  the  city  allows  individuals  and 
corporations  to  exploit  its  most  valuable  resources,  and 
as  long  as  values  created  by  the  community  are  appro- 
priated by  private  individuals.  The  best  sign  of  a  city's 
progress  is  seen  in  the  number  of  home  owners  and 
home  lovers. 


Housing  and  Homes  89 


FOR  CLASS  USE 

1.  Discuss  the  importance  of  the  house  in  the  making 
of  the  home. 

2.  Show  what  is  meant  by  bad  housing. 

3.  Indicate  some  of  the  bad  results  of  bad  housing. 

4.  What  may  be  said  regarding  unsatisfactory  home- 
life? 

5.  Indicate  some  of  the  difficulties  of  home-owning. 

6.  What  is  the  cure  for  bad  housing? 

7.  What  may  we  do  to  assist  in  providing  adequate 
housing  ? 

8.  What  can  be  done  to  promote  home-owning  ? 

9.  References  :  Veiller,  "  Model  Tenements  " ;  National 
Housing  Association,  Proceedings  1915,  16,  17,  18,  19, 
20 ;  Report  of  the  Ontario  Housing  Committee ;  Ward 
and  Edwards,  "  Christianizing  Community  Life  " ;  Tra- 
wick,  "  The  City  Church  and  Its  Social  Mission,"  Chap- 
ter I ;  Rowe,  "  Society,"  Chapter  XXXI ;  Watson,  "Social 
Advance,"  p.  230ff . ;  Booth,  "In  Darkest  England"; 
Devine,  "  Misery,"  Chapter  V ;  Devine,  "  Social  Work." 


CHAPTER  VI 
INDUSTRIAL  RELATIONS 

Every  community  is  made  up  of  people.  These,  being 
human  beings,  eat  food,  wear  clothes,  cultivate  the 
ground,  build  houses,  work  and  trade,  and  have  dealings 
one  with  the  other.  These  community  contacts,  these 
relations  of  man  with  man,  are  the  field  of  manifestation 
of  the  Christian  spirit.  "  Without  human  life  to  act 
upon,"  says  Professor  Drummond,  "  without  the  relations 
of  men  with  one  another,  of  master  with  servant,  husband 
with  wife,  buyer  with  seller,  creditor  with  debtor,  there 
is  no  such  thing  as  Christianity.  With  actual  things,  with 
humanity  in  its  every-day  dress,  with  the  traffic  of  the 
streets,  with  gates  and  houses,  with  work  and  wages,  with 
sin  and  poverty,  with  these  things  and  all  the  things 
and  all  the  relations  of  the  city,  Christianity  has  to  do, 
and  has  more  to  do  than  anything  else."  (Drummond, 
"The  City  Without  a  Church,"  p.  13.) 

THE  MEANING  OF  INDUSTRY 

Man  as  we  know  him  is  a  complex  being  of  spirit  and 
body.  For  the  present,  body  is  the  abode  of  spirit,  and 
spirit  uses  body.  Sometimes  these  have  been  set  in  oppo- 
sition and  each  has  been  treated  by  itself.  In  any  com- 
prehensive view  of  man  both  of  these  aspects  must  be 
considered  and  properly  related, 

90 


Industrial  Relations  91 

1.  Man  a  Complex  Being 

This  is  the  one  thing  vital  here :  God  has  ordained 
that  man  for  the  present  shall  be  body  and  spirit,  and 
these  are  so  interknit  and  interdependent  that  neither 
can  be  considered  by  itself  apart  from  the  other.  The 
other  fact  is  that  God's  will  covers  the  whole  of  man's 
being  and  makes  provision  for  all  of  his  needs.  In 
discussing  this  subject  of  industrial  relations,  which, 
as  we  shall  see,  is  concerned  primarily  with  essential 
human  needs,  we  are  dealing  with  sacred  things  and 
are  moving  in  line  with  the  divine  purpose.  It  is  pos- 
sible to  be  as  spiritually  minded  in  discussing  working 
conditions  as  in  leading  a  prayer-meeting. 

2.  Man's  Constant  Needs 

Every  human  being  has  certain  constant  and  imperious 
needs.  He  needs  truth  for  his  soul  and  beauty  for  the 
eye.  But  no  less  he  needs  food  for  his  body  and  oxygen 
for  his  lungs.  It  is  true  that  man  does  not  live  by  bread 
and  oxygen  alone ;  "  but  by  every  word  of  God  doth  man 
live."  Man  is  something  more  than  so  many  pounds  of 
carbon  and  hydrogen  with  a  little  phosphorus  added. 
But  it  is  no  less  true  that  man  cannot  live  without  food 
and  drink  and  be  a  man.  And  it  is  God's  will  that  he 
shall  have  all  things  needful  for  his  life  in  this  world. 
Revelation  and  reason  make  this  so  obvious  that  it  needs 
no  proof.  When  Jesus  taught  men  to  pray :  "  Our 
Father  who  art  in  heaven,  Give  us  day  by  day  our  daily 
bread,"  he  interpreted  the  Father's  will  for  his  children. 
Whatever  is  implied  in  the  will  of  God  demands  thought 
and  action  on  our  part. 


92  Building  a  Community 


3.  God's  Way  with  Man 

In  his  dealings  with  men  God  follows  a  law  and  method. 
It  is  his  will  that  his  people  shall  have  daily  bread  and 
acquire  dominion  over  the  earth.  But  nothing  is  given  to 
man  ready  made  and  without  any  effort  on  his  part.  To 
have  daily  bread  man  must  cultivate  the  ground  and 
gather  the  harvest.  It  may  be  noted  that  this  is  a  human 
collective  task  and  not  a  purely  individual  enterprise. 
God  is  training  his  people  in  the  great  art  of  living  to- 
gether ;  to  live  well  and  to  accomplish  his  task,  man  must 
cooperate  with  others.  Some  few  things  he  may  produce 
by  himself  alone ;  but  his  ability  in  this  direction  is  strictly 
limited.  To  have  any  variety  in  food  and  to  build  any 
kind  of  a  house  men  must  exchange  commodities  and 
transport  them  from  place  to  place.  To  be  human,  men 
must  have  fellowship  in  work  no  less  than  in  worship  and 
play. 

4.  Place  and  Meaning  of  Industry 

This  suggests  the  place  and  meaning  of  industry.  In 
a  general  sense  industry  includes  all  of  the  factors  that 
enter  into  the  production  and  manufacture,  the  transpor- 
tation and  distribution,  of  commodities.  Many  writers 
have  used  the  term  in  a  more  restricted  sense,  as  dealing 
simply  with  the  manufacturing  system  of  modern  life. 
But  we  cannot  chop  things  up  with  a  hatchet  after  this 
fashion;  we  cannot  use  the  term  in  this  narrow  and 
divisive  sense.  Here  we  shall  use  the  term  in  the  larger 
sense  and  shall  make  it  include  all  of  the  factors  that 
enter  into  the  production  and  distribution  of  commodities. 
Thus  it  includes  many  factors  and  processes;  it  includes 


Industrial  Relations  93 

the  work  of  the  farmer  and  miller,  the  miner  and  trader. 
But  quite  as  truly  it  includes  the  services  of  the  carpenter 
and  builder,  the  merchant  and  the  errand  boy.  In  a 
word  it  includes  all  of  the  means  and  methods  by  which 
men  are  fed  and  clothed. 

5.  Industry  and  Man's  Well-being 

It  is  evident  that  industry  as  thus  understood  has  a 
place  in  the  purpose  of  God  and  a  direct  relation  to  man's 
well-being.  Christianity  is  here  not  to  scorn  the  world 
or  to  cast  any  essential  human  need  out  of  the  Kingdom. 
It  is  here  rather  to  redeem  all  life  and  to  interpret  the 
true  meaning  of  things.  The  Christian  conception  of  life 
reveals  very  clearly  the  meaning  of  industry  and  its 
relation  to  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

Industry  is  here  that  it  may  serve  man.  Industry  is  a 
means  through  which  men  cooperate  in  serving  essential 
human  needs.  Industry,  like  every  other  factor  and  in- 
stitution, exists  that  it  may  promote  human  fellowship 
and  the  advance  of  God's  Kingdom.  In  the  last  analysis 
these  three  things  are  one;  at  any  rate,  each  implies  the 
other.  This  we  may  note :  that  industry  in  its  true  mean- 
ing is  a  fellowship  of  men  working  together  to  serve 
essential  human  needs.  Bread  for  his  daily  life  is  one 
of  the  most  imperious  needs  of  man.  Industry,  which  is 
the  means  through  which  man  gains  his  daily  bread,  is 
thus  one  of  the  most  important  factors  in  community 
life.  It  must  be  so  conducted  as  to  supply  man's  essen- 
tial needs  and  make  its  largest  contribution  to  community 
values.  It  should  promote  cooperation  and  fellowship 
and  be  a  means  of  uniting  men  in  common  tasks.  And 
it  is  necessary  that  it  be  so  related  to  the  other  factors  of 


94  Building  a  Community 

society   as  to  promote   community   progress  and  social 
unity. 

THE  DISHARMONY  IN  INDUSTRY 

In  this  brief  study  it  is  of  course  impossible  to  discuss 
this  or  any  question  in  detail.  As  anyone  knows,  the 
industrial  question  is  one  of  the  disturbing  ques- 
tions of  our  time,  and  many  volumes  have  been  written 
dealing  with  aspects  of  this  problem.  Here  we  are  con- 
cerned with  industry  as  related  to  community  life,  with 
some  consideration  of  the  ways  whereby  industry  may 
serve  community  progress. 

1.  Changes  in  Industry 

The  present  industrial  system  is  unsatisfactory.  It  is 
sometimes  supposed  that  as  things  are  they  always  have 
been.  But,  as  students  of  economic  history  know,  our 
present  system  is  a  comparatively  modern  thing.  It  is 
only  a  little  over  a  hundred  years  old  and  is  the  direct 
result  of  what  is  called  the  industrial  revolution.  The 
invention  of  machines  for  manufacturing  purposes  and 
the  development  of  steam-driven  machinery  produced 
momentous  changes  in  the  structure  and  methods  of 
human  society. 

In  the  present  order  we  have  what  we  call  the  factory 
system.  On  the  one  hand  we  have  investors,  whether 
individuals  or  a  corporation,  building  great  factories  and 
employing  many  workers.  On  the  other  we  have  great 
numbers  of  workers  employed  in  industry,  with  no 
ownership  in  the  tools  and  no  voice  in  the  management. 
These  two  groups,  owners  and  employees,  by  the  nature 
of  the  case  are  related  to  one  another,  and  each  is  de- 


Industrial  Relations  95 

pendent  upon  the  other.  But  in  industry  they  are  sepa- 
rated into  two  opposed  and  competing  groups,  often 
without  any  contact  or  fellowship.  This  system  contains 
all  of  the  conditions  which  make  for  misunderstanding, 
friction,  and  strife. 

2.  Division  of  Labor 

This  present  system  has  brought  a  division  of  labor, 
and  so  has  limited  the  workers'  interest  and  personality. 
Division  of  labor  is  no  doubt  necessary  in  any  industrial 
system ;  no  man  can  be  a  specialist  in  everything ;  that  the 
whole  work  of  the  world  may  be  done  and  all  the  needs 
of  man  met,  there  must  be  specialization  of  function. 
But  our  system  has  carried  this  to  the  extreme;  and  so 
we  find  innumerable  trades  with  highly  specialized  work. 
The  time  was  when  one  man  made  a  pair  of  boots ;  but  in 
a  shoe  factory  he  merely  makes  the  fraction  of  a  boot. 
This  narrows  the  scope  of  his  interest  and  life;  this 
limits  his  freedom  and  mobility ;  he  may  be  thrown  out 
of  employment  without  notice ;  he  is  unable  to  turn  him- 
self till  his  particular  bit  of  skill  is  again  in  demand. 

3.  Uncertainty  of  Employment 

The  present  system  has  brought  an  uncertainty  of 
employment.  As  everyone  knows,  under  the  present 
system,  employment  for  a  large  proportion  of  workers 
is  very  uncertain.  Men  may  be  thrown  out  of  work 
with  only  a  few  days'  notice.  In  such  industries  as 
the  building  trades  in  normal  times  workers  have  em- 
ployment less  than  two  hundred  days  in  the  year.  In 
nearly  all  industries  a  large  proportion  of  workers, 
skilled  no  less  than  unskilled,  are  out  of  work  a  con- 


96  Building  a  Community 

siderable  part  of  the  time.  This  uncertain  tenure  of 
employment  makes  home-owning  difficult  and  unde- 
sirable for  many.  Seasonal  trades  mean  migrant 
workers.    Industrial  nomads  have  no  true  home-life. 

4.  Effects  upon  the  Home 

The  present  system  has  drawn  women  out  of  the  home 
into  the  field  of  industry.  This  has  given  women  greater 
economic  freedom  and  has  made  it  possible  for  millions 
to  be  self-supporting.  It  has  increased  the  productive 
power  of  industry  and  has  released  men  for  some  heavier 
masculine  tasks.  But  there  is  a  darker  side  which  must 
be  taken  into  account.  Manufacture  today  is  largely 
machine  production.  Such  work,  being  mechanical,  is 
tedious  and  uninteresting.  This  means  that  it  induces 
fatigue  in  the  worker.  But  woman,  on  account  of  her 
very  organization,  is  more  subject  to  fatigue  than  man. 
In  fact,  careful  investigation  shows  that  fatigue  in  men 
and  women  is  as  100  to  139.  A  fatigued  person  is  a 
poisoned  person.  Fatigue  is  a  racial  poison  and  affects 
not  only  the  woman  herself  but  her  children.  Here  is  a 
question  that  demands  full  consideration.  (Goldmark, 
"  Fatigue  and  Efficiency.") 

5.  Law  of  Selfishness  Prevails 

Beyond  this,  the  present  system  has  enthroned  the 
law  of  selfishness  as  the  fundamental  law.  It  assumes 
that  men  are  selfish  beings  and  that  each  is  trying  to 
get  ahead  of  his  fellows.  It  assumes  that  self-interest 
and  competition  are  constant  and  potent  factors,  while 
sympathy  and  confidence  are  inconstant  and  secondary 
principles.     The  present  system  accepts,  if  it  does  not 


Industrial  Relations  97 

sanction,  the  principle  of  competition  as  the  necessary- 
relation  between  employers  and  employees.  Thus  it 
is  that  industry,  which  should  promote  cooperation 
and  fellowship,  really  divides  men  into  two  competing 
groups  and  pits  one  against  the  other. 

The  result  of  this  brief  survey  shows  two  things 
that  are  significant:  industry  as  we  know  it  has  fallen 
far  below  its  ideal ;  it  not  only  fails  to  promote  fellow- 
ship and  serve  man  in  the  largest  way,  but  it  is  work- 
ing at  cross  purposes  with  the  spirit  of  Christ  and  is 
wasteful  of  both  material  and  human  values.  And  the 
industrial  system  as  we  find  it  today  is  defective  at 
many  points  and  contains  all  the  conditions  of  fric- 
tion and  strife.  The  industrial  world  is  a  scene  of 
confusion  and  strife.  Misunderstandings  are  frequent ; 
there  are  strikes  and  lock-outs  with  much  sufTering 
and  bitterness ;  communities  are  divided ;  division 
enters  the  church,  and  class  spirit  grows. 

But  we  must  pass  on  to  deal  with  the  things  to  be 
done  in  order  that  a  more  satisfactory  system  may  be 
devised  and  that  industry  may  make  its  full  contribu- 
tion to  community  life.  Two  aspects  of  this  may  be 
noted.  The  first  has  to  do  with  a  change  in  the  ideal, 
motives,  processes,  and  organization  of  industry.  The 
second  has  to  do  with  the  things  to  be  done,  both  in 
the  immediate  situation  and  in  the  larger  program  of 
industrial  progress. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  INDUSTRIAL  POLICIES 

There  are  serious  defects  in  the  structure  and  organiza- 
tion of  industry,  as  we  all  admit.     (See  report  of  Arch- 


98  Building  a  Community 

bishops'  Fifth  Committee  on  "  The  Church  and  Industrial 
Problems,"  also  Report  of  Committee  on  the  World 
and  the  Religious  Outlook,  "  The  Church  and  Indus- 
trial Reconstruction.")  But  the  primary  defects,  as  the 
most  careful  students  of  industry  admit,  are  within  men, 
in  their  false  ideas  and  wrong  principles.  Since  this  is 
the  case,  the  first  steps  in  the  redemption  of  industry 
must  be  in  the  minds  and  motives  of  men.  These  false 
ideals  and  wrong  motives  must  be  denied  and  repudiated, 
and  true  ideals  and  Christian  motives  must  become  domi- 
nant. We  need  not  mention  these  false  ideas  and  mo- 
tives, but  shall  proceed  at  once  to  the  mention  of  the  true. 
Only  the  true  can  supplant  the  false. 

1.  Social  Function  of  Industry 

The  first  thing  is  to  affirm  and  accept  the  social  func- 
tion of  industry.  As  we  have  seen,  industry  includes  all 
of  the  factors  that  enter  into  the  production  and  distribu- 
tion of  commodities.  It  is  the  Father's  will  that  his  chil- 
dren shall  have  daily  bread  and  all  things  needful.  Thus 
industry  is  a  divine  means  to  a  divine  end.  It  therefore 
has  a  social  function;  it  is  here  to  serve  the  uses  of 
the  Kingdom ;  so  it  has  a  moral  and  spiritual  value ;  it  is 
here  to  bring  life  to  body  and  fellowship  to  spirit. 

The  industrial  order  exists  for  the  same  end  as  the 
church  and  the  missionary  society,  that  it  may  serve  man 
and  advance  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  To  regard 
industry  as  a  means  of  profit  is  to  lay  profane  hands 
upon  a  holy  thing.  "  Not  to  be  ministered  unto  but  to 
minister,"  is  as  fitting  a  motto  over  the  door  of  the  fac- 
tory as  on  the  communion  table  in  the  church.  Industry 
is  here  to  serve  essential  human  needs. 


Industrial  Relations  99 


2.  The  Obligation  of  Men  of  Good  Will 

The  men  of  good  will  must  learn  to  think  of  industry 
in  its  true  meaning.  We  are  in  the  stone  age  of  eco- 
nomics. Industry  today  is  motived  by  Gentile  and  not 
Christian  motives;  it  is  organized  on  a  pagan  and  not  a 
Christian  basis.  So  long  as  these  Gentile  motives  are 
dominant  and  these  pagan  principles  are  accepted,  "the 
goodly  fellowship  of  the  apostles  could  not  operate  our 
present  industrial  system  and  make  its  working  just." 
We  ought  to  have  known  long  ago  that  our  social  and 
industrial  troubles  are  due  to  selfishness  and  injustice. 

3.  Christian  Principles  Must  Control 

There  must  be  developed  a  body  of  just  and  Christian 
principles  for  the  organization  and  conduct  of  industry. 
In  civil  society  we  have  developed  charters,  bills  of  rights, 
constitutions,  and  laws  for  the  definition  of  civil  justice 
and  the  adjustment  of  civil  difficulties.  But  industry, 
as  Secretary  Charles  Evans  Hughes  says,  is  still  uncivil- 
ized. The  great  need  today  is  the  development  of  such  a 
body  of  charters  and  constitutions  for  the  definition  of 
social  justice  and  the  adjustment  of  industrial  relations. 
(Batten,  "  The  Christian  Spirit  in  Industry/'  pp.  7-14.) 

4.  Reconstruction  of  Industry  is  Necessary 

Then  must  follow  a  reconstruction  of  industry  on  the 
basis  of  just  and  Christian  principles.  There  should  be 
a  parliament  or  council  representing  all  parties,  which 
shall  interpret  and  define  industrial  principles.  This 
council  should  pass  upon  all  questions  that  concern  the 
industry  and  should  represent  the  judgment  and  voice  of 


100  Building  a  Community 


all.  There  should  also  be  a  court  or  committee  to  which 
all  questions  at  issue  may  be  referred  and  before  which 
they  may  be  tested  according  to  certain  accepted  stand- 
ards. This  court  could  adjust  ninety  per  cent  of  the  con- 
flicts that  arise  and  could  do  much  to  insure  industrial 

peace. 

That  we  are  far  from  the  realization  of  such  a  Chris- 
tian industrial  order  is  known  to  all.  That  even  the 
church  itself  needs  to  undergo  a  change  of  mind  on  this 
question  is  no  less  evident.  Thus  a  prominent  and 
wealthy  member  of  a  church  can  say :  "  I  am  not  inter- 
ested in  the  education  of  the  foreigners,  because  their 
elevation  will  deprive  industry  of  its  workers."  But 
there  are  many  signs  of  promise,  and  every  day  the  num- 
ber of  men  increases  who  regard  industry  as  a  service 
and  are  seeking  to  keep  it  true  to  its  ideal  and  to  make  it 
indeed  a  fellowship  of  men  seeking  the  kingdom  of 
brotherhood 

5.  Right  State  of  Mind  is  Essential 

The  primary  need  of  men  is  a  right  state  of  mind.  In- 
dustrial reconstruction  must  be  an  ideal,  a  chivalry,  a 
faith,  a  religion,  before  it  can  ever  become  a  visible 
reality.  We  may  need  a  program  for  industry;  but  be- 
yond this  and  before  this  we  need  the  Christian  attitude 
of  mind.  This  brings  us  to  the  very  door  of  the  church ; 
for  this  work  of  informing  the  mind,  arousing  the  con- 
science, developing  right  motives,  strengthening  the  will, 
is  the  special  task  of  the  church. 

"  Where  there's  a  will  there's  a  way."  Men  would 
soon  find  the  way  to  advance  if  they  had  the  will  to  do  so. 
The  church  must  create  the  will  which  shall  impel  men  to 


Industrial  Relations  101 


find  the  way.  When  men  are  willing  to  take  Christ's 
way  in  industry  they  will  know  how  to  take  the  next 
steps. 

THE  NEXT  STEPS 

In  attempting  to  reconstruct  industry  it  is  necessary 
that  we  have  right  ideals  and  principles  and  that  we  keep 
our  eyes  ever  fixed  upon  the  goal.  We  must  beware  of 
patchwork  and  must  never  be  satisfied  with  half  measures. 
It  is  equally  necessary  for  us  to  see  things  as  they  are  and 
to  proceed  by  practicable  measures  to  attainable  ends. 
We  must  recognize  the  fact  that  life  is  a  growth  and 
men  must  live  in  passing  from  the  old  order  into  the  new. 
The  better  industrial  order  will  come  as  fast  and  as  far 
as  men  are  prepared  for  it.  Here  we  note  a  few  of  the 
immediate  and  definite  tasks  that  challenge  those  who 
would  follow  Christ  and  build  a  Christian  type  of  com- 
munity life. 

1.  Church  Must  Have  a  Social  Program 

In  recent  times  many  of  the  religious  bodies  have 
adopted  statements  which  constitute  what  may  be  called 
the  Christian  program  of  industry.  Among  these  may 
be  named  the  following: 

(1)  Abolition  of  child  labor. 

(2)  Such  regulation  of  the  conditions  of  toil  for 
women  as  shall  safeguard  the  physical  and  moral  health 
of  the  community. 

(3)  Abatement  and  prevention  of  poverty. 

(4)  Conservation  of  health. 

(5)  Protection  of  the  worker  from  dangerous  machin- 
ery, occupational  diseases,  and  mortality. 


102  Building  a  Community 

(6)  The  right  of  all  men  to  the  opportunity  of  self- 
maintenance,  for  safeguarding  his  right  against  encroach- 
ments of  every  kind,  and  for  the  protection  of  workers 
from  the  hardships  of  enforced  unemployment. 

(7)  Suitable  provision  for  the  old  age  of  the  workers 
and  for  those  incapacitated  by  injury. 

(8)  The  right  of  employees  and  employers  alike  to 
organize;  and  for  adequate  means  of  conciliation  and 
arbitration  in  industrial  disputes. 

(9)  Release  from  employment  one  day  in  seven. 

(10)  Gradual  and  reasonable  reduction  of  hours  of 
labor  to  the  lowest  practical  point,  and  for  that  degree 
of  leisure  for  all  which  is  a  condition  of  the  highest 
human  life. 

(11)  A  living  wage  as  a  minimum  in  every  industry, 
and  for  the  highest  wage  that  each  industry  can  afford. 

(12)  A  new  emphasis  upon  the  application  of  Chris- 
tian principles  to  the  acquisition  and  use  of  property,  and 
for  the  most  equitable  division  of  the  product  of  industry 
that  ultimately  can  be  devised. 

(13)  An  adequate  permanent  national  system  of  pub- 
lic employment  bureaus  to  make  possible  the  proper  dis- 
tribution of  the  labor  forces  of  the  nation. 

In  following  out  this  program  there  are  several  things 
that  demand  special  attention  on  the  part  of  all  intel- 
ligent people. 

2.  Prohibition  of  Child  Labor 

The  community  must  end  the  crime  and  blunder  of 
child  labor  in  industry.  In  the  fine  words  of  the  Report 
of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  American  Federation 
of  Labor,  in   1914:  "Child  labor  robs  the  child  of  a 


Industrial  Relations  10. 


o 


chance  to  grow,  a  chance  to  learn,  and  a  chance  to  dream. 
It  robs  children  of  the  chance  to  attain  the  fullest  develop- 
ment of  manhood  and  womanhood.  It  leaves  them  with 
the  sense  of  the  world's  injustice  burned  into  their  inmost 
feelings."  Child  labor  in  industry  is  morally  wrong, 
socially  unnecessary,  and  industrially  wasteful,  and  should 
not  be  tolerated. 

3.  Protection  of  Women 

Women  in  industry  should  be  fully  protected.  In 
recent  times  the  number  of  women  engaged  in  indus- 
try has  rapidly  increased.  In  America  there  are  some 
ten  millions  of  such  workers.  For  a  long  time  to 
come  women  will  play  a  large  part  in  industry,  and 
our  calculations  must  be  upon  this  basis.  But  the 
community  that  accepts  women  as  industrial  workers 
has  a  clear  duty  in  the  case.  It  must  protect  women 
and  must  be  sure  that  they  are  not  overdriven.  It 
must  safeguard  their  health  by  limiting  the  hours  of 
labor  and  forbidding  night-work.  It  must  insure 
them  a  living  wage  which  will  do  these  things:  enable 
them  to  live  a  full  life  above  the  efficiency  level;  and 
by  giving  them  an  adequate  wage  it  will  prevent  them 
from  being  used  to  undercut  the  wages  of  men.  The 
community  should  carefully  study  the  question  of 
women  in  industry ;  it  should  not  be  satisfied  till  satis- 
factory laws  and  regulations  are  adopted ;  and  it  must 
see  that  these  laws  and  regulations  are  fairly  obeyed. 

4.  Guarantee  of  a  Living  Wage 

The  community  must  see  that  all  workers  receive  a 
living  wage.     "  The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire."     It 


104  Building  a  Com m  unity 

is  God's  will  that  his  children  shall  live  a  full  and 
satisfying  life.  What  we  call  wage,  or  income,  is 
the  economic  means  by  which  this  end  is  attained. 
Human  values  are  at  stake,  and  these  always  take 
precedence  over  material  profits.  The  churches  have 
affirmed  that  a  living  income  for  the  worker  is  the 
first  moral  claim  upon  industry.  They  have  inter- 
preted a  living  income  as  one  that  will  enable  the 
worker  and  his  family  to  live  above  the  efficiency  level 
and  to  be  relieved  of  needless  anxiety.  This  end  is 
possible,  and  it  must  ever  be  kept  in  view.  Any  in- 
dustry that  cannot  pay  a  living  wage  is  a  parasitic 
industry  and  should  not  be  tolerated.  (Ryan,  "  A  Liv- 
ing Wage  " ;  Ward,  "  The  Living  Wage,"  in  Social 
Service  Series.) 

5.  Demand  for  Rest  and  Recreation 

The  community  must  demand  and  secure  for  every 
worker  sufficient  time  for  rest,  for  recreation,  and  for 
family  life.  It  is  a  sin,  and  it  should  be  a  crime,  to  com- 
pel any  worker  to  work  seven  days  in  the  week  and  toil 
to  the  point  of  exhaustion.  The  community  should  sup- 
port all  measures  designed  to  limit  the  hours  of  labor  and 
reduce  them  to  the  minimum.  Above  all,  it  should  guar- 
antee to  every  worker  one  day  of  rest  in  seven  and  should 
demand  a  wage  based  on  a  six-day  week  and  not  on  a 
seven-day  week. 

6.  Promotion  of  Conferences 

The  churches  may  well  promote  conferences  of  em- 
ployers and  workers  for  the  discussion  of  industrial  ques- 
tions.    Our  present  industrial  system  divides  men  into 


Industrial  Relations  105 


two  groups  and  pits  one  against  the  other.  One  of  the 
chief  causes  of  industrial  strife  is  found  here,  in  the  fact 
that  members  of  each  group  look  with  suspicion  upon 
the  members  of  the  other.  Each  group  considers  pri- 
marily its  own  interests  and  makes  its  own  demands.  So 
long  as  men  stand  apart  they  will  misunderstand  one 
another,  and  we  have  the  conditions  of  friction.  Indus- 
try, we  have  seen,  is  a  partnership,  and  is  intended  to  be 
a  fellowship.  The  churches  are  the  friends  of  all  men 
and  stand  for  unity  and  good  will.  The  church  in  each 
community  can  render  a  large  service  in  industry  by  em- 
phasizing the  principles  of  fellowship,  by  promoting 
mutual  understanding,  and  by  bringing  men  together  in 
conference  for  the  discussion  of  their  common  interests. 
This  work  is  difficult  and  requires  tact ;  but  it  can  be  done 
and  it  must  be  done. 

The  duty  of  Christian  men  is  clear :  they  are  to  accept 
the  ideal  of  Christ  as  the  standard  for  industry  and  are 
to  make  his  ideal  a  reality  in  the  actual  life  of  the  world. 
They  are  to  interpret  all  life  in  terms  of  his  purpose  and 
are  to  bring  all  the  tendencies,  motives,  processes,  and 
results  of  industry  to  the  touchstone  of  his  spirit.  It  is 
not  enough  to  be  a  Christian  in  industry;  but  men  must 
strive  to  make  industry  Christian  in  its  motives  and 
methods.  The  just  shall  live  by  his  faith.  Men  are 
justified  not  because  they  have  fully  attained  the  ideal; 
but  they  are  justified  when  they  see  the  ideal  and  set 
out  to  realize  it.  Our  efforts  at  best  will  be  approxima- 
tions ;  but  it  makes  all  the  difference  in  the  moral  value 
of  life  whether  men  are  satisfied  with  the  present  or 
whether  they  are  struggling  upward  toward  the  Christian 
ideal. 


106  Building  a  Community 

FOR  CLASS  USE 

1.  Discuss  the  meaning  of  industry. 

2.  Show  why  the  present  industrial  system  is  unsatis- 
factory. 

3.  Discuss  the  uncertainty  of  employment  in  its  effects 
upon  the  home. 

4.  Discuss  some  Christian  ideals  of  industry. 

5.  Indicate  the  five  most  important  items  in  the  state- 
ment of  the  social  program  of  the  church  as  given  in  this 
chapter. 

6.  In  what  ways  may  women  and  children  be  protected 
in  industry? 

7.  What  in  your  judgment  is  the  one  best  suggestion 
given  in  this  chapter? 

8.  What  is  your  own  best  suggestion? 

9.  References :  "  The  Church  and  Industrial  Recon- 
struction," Report  of  Committee  on  the  War  and  the  Re- 
ligious Outlook ;  "  The  Church  and  Industrial  Problems/' 
Report  of  Archbishops'  Fifth  Committee;  Rauschen- 
busch,  "  Christianizing  the  Social  Order  "  ;  Tawney,  "  The 
Acquisitive  Society  " ;  Johnson,  "  The  New  Spirit  in  In- 
dustry " ;  King,  "  Industry  and  Humanity " ;  Batten, 
"  The  New  World  Order  " ;  Ward,  "  The  Labor  Move- 
ment " ;  Maclver,  "  Labor  in  the  Changing  World  " ; 
Commons  and  Andrews,  "  Principles  of  Labor  Legisla- 
tion " ;  Ward,  "  The  Social  Creed  of  the  Churches  " ; 
Henderson,  "  The  Aims  of  Labor " ;  Henderson,  C.  R., 
"  Citizens  in  Industry." 


CHAPTER  VII 
PLAY  AND  RECREATION 

"  The  three  master  forces  fixing  the  mundane  welfare 
of  human  beings,"  says  Professor  E.  A.  Ross,  "  are  work, 
living  conditions,  and  recreation."  It  is  certain  that  rec- 
reation is  one  of  the  vital  factors  in  human  life.  It  must 
therefore  have  a  rightful  and  recognized  place  in  the  com- 
munity program.  The  warrant  for  our  interest — in  case 
any  warrant  is  needed — is  found  in  the  words  of  Zecha- 
riah :  "  The  streets  of  the  city  shall  be  full  of  boys  and 
girls  playing  in  the  broad  places  thereof."  (Zech.  8:5.) 

THE  PLACE  OF  PLAY 

There  are  several  aspects  of  this  question  which  we 
may  briefly  note  for  their  direct  relation  to  our  purpose. 

1.  Natural  to  Man 

Play  is  natural  to  man.  If  we  were  searching  for  the 
roots  of  things  we  should  find  the  beginnings  of  play  far 
down  in  the  scale  of  life.  Animals  are  fond  of  play ;  in 
fact,  a  good  part  of  an  animal's  life  is  spent  in  play. 
Two  things  make  up  the  life  of  a  being,  animal,  or  man, 
work  and  the  search  for  food,  play  and  rest.  The  scien- 
tist has  had  much  to  say  about  the  struggle  for  existence 
in  the  world  of  life,  and  undoubtedly  there  is  a  struggle, 
and  it  is  intense.     But  life  is  not  by  any  means  the 

107 


108  Building  a  Community 


strenuous  fight  that  some  have  imagined.  Any  observer 
of  animal  life,  of  birds,  cats,  dogs,  sheep,  horses,  will 
discover  that  a  considerable  part  of  their  time  and  energy 
is  given  to  play.  And  the  same  is  true  of  man.  Primi- 
tive man  indulged  much  in  play,  and  he  had  many  games 
and  dances.  This  is  a  strenuous  world  for  its  inhabi- 
tants, and  men  must  toil  and  fight  to  maintain  themselves. 
But  life  is  not  all  struggle  and  warfare.  Deep  in  the 
nature  of  man  there  is  a  desire  for  recreation  and  play. 

2.  Necessary  to  Man 

Play  is  necessary  to  man.  Work  and  play  make  up 
the  life  of  man.  "  All  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a 
dull  boy."  This,  like  all  old  sayings,  condenses  a  lot 
of  social  philosophy  into  a  few  words.  In  a  far  deeper 
sense  than  is  sometimes  supposed,  all  work  and  no 
play  makes  Jack  a  dull  boy.  Man's  body  is  so  built 
that  periods  of  labor  must  alternate  with  periods  of 
rest.  But  rest,  we  have  learned,  does  not  always  mean 
inaction ;  sometimes  complete  change  and  increased 
activity  are  the  best  kinds  of  recreation.  The  use 
of  any  muscle  or  tissue  of  the  human  body  means 
waste. 

More  than  that,  where  the  labor  is  prolonged  till 
exhaustion  supervenes,  a  toxic  element  is  found  in  the 
human  system  which  has  a  very  deleterious  effect. 
Rest  is  necessary  that  this  waste  may  be  repaired. 
However,  something  more  than  this  is  required  if  man 
is  to  rebound  from  the  exhaustion  and  regain  his  in- 
terest. He  must  have  a  counter  attraction,  a  diver- 
sion, something  that  shall  change  the  current  of  his 
life  and  call  other  tissues  and  faculties  into  exercise. 


Play  and  Recreation  109 

"  A  merry  heart  doeth  good  like  a  medicine."  Man 
needs  rest,  diversion,  recreation.  Play  is  necessary  to 
man. 

3.  Prepares  for  Life 

Play  is  an  important  factor  in  preparing  the  child  for 
life  and  usefulness.  In  these  times  the  sociologist  has 
studied  the  phenomena  of  animal  life,  and  he  has  made 
some  important  discoveries.  He  has  found  that  play  is 
the  method  through  which  the  young  animal  is  trained 
for  its  place  in  life.  In  play  and  in  spontaneous  exercise 
the  animal  calls  into  use  those  very  activities  which  make 
up  a  large  part  of  its  serious  life.  Let  anyone  watch 
some  animals  at  play  and  he  will  not  be  able  at  times  to 
distinguish  between  the  antics  of  play  and  the  activities 
of  a  fight.  He  will  see  a  group  of  dogs  chase  one 
another,  biting,  attacking,  fighting  apparently  in  good 
earnest.  As  he  looks  deeper  into  the  meaning  of  things 
he  finds  that,  while  all  this  is  play,  it  yet  serves  a  most 
real  and  serious  purpose  in  life.  It  is  in  and  through 
play  that  the  young  animal  is  trained  to  run,  to  dodge, 
to  avoid  an  enemy,  to  attack,  to  bite,  to  break  away  from 
its  antagonist,  to  overturn  him  and  overcome  him.  In 
play  an  animal  is  trained  to  do  in  sport  the  very  things 
that  he  must  do  in  earnest. 

What  is  true  in  the  case  of  animals  is  even  more  true 
in  the  case  of  humans.  Every  person  needs  a  certain 
equipment  in  body,  mind,  will,  and  habit  for  useful  and 
social  efficiency.  The  child  needs  a  strong,  vigorous, 
well-trained  body,  obedient  to  the  will  and  fully  under 
control.  It  needs  good  lungs,  a  strong  heart,  a  clear  eye, 
a  trusty  foot;  it  needs  strength  of  back,  agility  of  foot, 


110  B  u ilding  a  Com  m  un  ity 

flexibility  of  muscle,  alertness  of  movement.  How  can 
the  child  gain  this  training?  Life  is  learned  by  living. 
The  mere  wishing  for  these  things  will  not  bring  them. 
They  do  not  come  by  chance,  and  they  cannot  be  acquired 
from  books  or  in  the  classroom.  In  large  part  they  must 
come,  if  they  come  at  all,  in  play. 

4.  Develops  Social  Nature 

Again,  play  serves  a  useful  function  in  the  develop- 
ment of  man's  social  nature.  There  are  certain  qualities 
that  are  essential  in  life  both  for  personal  efficiency  and 
social  living,  as  imitation,  initiative,  fair-play,  self-control. 
The  person  who  does  not  possess  these  is  seriously  handi- 
capped ;  persons  are  well-equipped  for  life  so  far  as  these 
are  present.  Not  only  so ;  but  people  in  this  world  who 
would  be  moral  and  happy  must  know  how  to  get  along 
with  others,  to  do  team-work,  to  give  and  take,  to  do 
one's  best  and  yet  cooperate  with  others.  These  qualities, 
it  may  be  noted,  must  be  gained  in  and  through  actual 
living.  They  cannot  be  inherited  and  they  cannot  be  ac- 
quired from  books. 

Play  is  one  of  the  chief  means  through  which  these 
qualities  are  developed  in  life.  In  play,  animals  unite  to 
accomplish  certain  ends,  and  play  is  the  first  social  exer- 
cise of  an  animal's  life.  Birds  in  play  unite  to  storm  a 
tree.  Ants  unite  in  sham  battles.  Thus  the  animals 
learn  to  do  team-work  and  to  practise  mutual  aid.  The 
same  is  even  more  true  of  human  beings.  In  play  chil- 
dren learn  to  combine,  to  do  team-work,  to  support  one 
another,  to  do  a  common  task.  In  play  the  child  learns 
to  be  both  imitative  and  independent,  to  do  as  others  are 
doing,  and  to  depend  upon  its  own  initiative.    In  play  the 


Play  and  Recreation  111 

power  of  leadership  shows  itself,  and  children  learn  to 
group  themselves  around  one  who  commands.  In  play 
there  is  a  division  of  responsibility  with  a  demand  for 
common  effort.  In  play  children  learn  to  be  social 
beings,  to  be  patient,  to  acquire  self-control,  to  keep  the 
rules  of  the  game,  to  give  and  take.  The  playground 
is  one  of  the  best  schools  of  character. 

Play  is  one  of  the  chief  factors  in  the  socialization  of 
man.  Life  in  this  world  is  life  under  laws  and  limita- 
tions. Society  is  possible  in  so  far  as  life  is  adjusted  to 
life  and  people  work  together.  In  every  department  and 
relation  of  life  man  finds  that  he  is  under  law,  and 
must  adjust  himself  to  other  folks.  He  finds  that  there 
are  certain  rules  and  customs,  and  he  who  would  stay  in 
the  game  must  play  according  to  the  rules.  In  the 
family,  the  church,  the  community,  and  industry,  this  is 
the  case ;  in  fact  these  are  all  so  many  forms  of  the  game 
of  life,  so  many  experiments  in  the  art  of  getting  along 
together.  The  well-adjusted  person  is  the  good,  moral, 
happy  man;  the  ill-adjusted  person  is  the  unhappy, 
troublesome,  criminal  man.  The  criminal  is  the  un- 
socialized  person,  the  one  who  does  not  know  how  to 
play  according  to  the  rules  of  the  game.  If  the  purpose 
of  God  in  the  world  consists  in  training  human  beings  in 
the  divine  art  of  living  together,  then  play  is  one  of  the 
most  necessary  elements  in  every  life.  For  there  is  a 
higher  value  in  the  spontaneous  reactions  of  play  than  in 
the  conscious  experiences  of  labor.  In  play  man  learns 
to  act  unconsciously  and  freely,  and  thus  its  moral  values 
are  very  high.  Play  must  be  made  more  attractive  than 
vice.  Vice  will  lose  its  power  when  play  is  made  more 
attractive. 


112  Building  a  Community 


5.  Satisfies  Craving  for  Adventure 

Finally,  play  gives  scope  to  one  of  the  strongest 
cravings  of  the  human  heart.  Someone  has  said  that 
there  is  an  unconscious  poet  in  every  man.  .  The  say- 
ing is  true,  and,  we  may  add,  there  is  an  unconscious 
romance  in  everyone.  Man  has  come  from  ancestors 
who  lived  in  the  open  air  a  life  of  adventure  and  move- 
ment. The  craving  for  adventure  and  excitement  is  in 
the  blood,  and  this  craving  must  find  some  expression. 

Not  only  so,  but  life  in  this  unfinished  world,  with  so 
many  possibilities  open  and  so  many  battles  to  fight,  is 
itself  the  greatest  adventure.  There  is  a  great  mysteri- 
ous future  before  the  world  and  before  man,  and  this 
means  struggle  and  risk.  Man  loves  the  dramatic,  the 
romantic,  the  heroic,  the  idealistic.  It  will  be  a  sad  day 
for  the  race  if  this  craving  is  denied  scope  and  is  sup- 
pressed. It  will  mean  the  deadening  of  life,  the  leveling 
down  of  society,  the  reign  of  the  stale  and  commonplace. 
Life  to  the  average  man  in  our  regulated  society  and 
work-a-day  world  is  a  dull  and  flat  affair.  There  is  the 
same  old  round  of  duty,  with  the  walk  to  the  office  or 
factory  and  home  again. 

Sometimes  as  I  watch  the  crowds  of  workers  going 
forth  to  their  work  in  the  morning  and  to  their  labor 
until  evening,  I  wonder  that  they  do  not  rebel  at  its 
monotony ;  for  I  do  not  see  how  they  can  endure  its 
humdrum.  It  is  just  here  that  play  and  recreation  come 
in  to  meet  a  human  need  and  to  satisfy  a  great  natural 
craving.  In  play  we  can  be  romantic  and  heroic,  if  only 
for  a  few  brief  moments,  and  so  can  live  for  the  rest  of 
the  day. 


Play  and  Recreation  113 


THE  PERVERSION  OF  PLAY 

The  question  of  recreation  is  one  of  the  most  vital 
questions  of  our  community  life.  But  many  things  in 
our  modern  social  development  are  making  for  the 
destruction  of  play  and  recreation  in  helpful  and  social 
ways. 

1.  City  Life  Against  Play 

The  modern  city  is  the  enemy  of  recreation.  All  the 
available  ground  is  taken  for  streets,  houses,  warehouses, 
factories,  trolley  cars,  and  automobiles.  There  is  no 
place  where  the  children  can  run  and  play,  no  open  space, 
no  woods  where  children  can  hide,  no  streams  where  they 
can  wade.  The  homes  are  too  crowded  for  play  and  the 
streets  are  not  safe.  The  child  must  do  one  of  two 
things:  either  go  without  play  or  find  it  in  questionable 
ways.  By  our  methods  of  city  building,  with  no  provi- 
sion for  the  playing  child,  we  have  wronged  the  children 
and  have  driven  them  into  evil  dissipations.  In  denying 
the  children  an  opportunity  to  play  we  are  robbing  them 
of  some  of  their  primary  rights  and  are  doing  them  an 
irreparable  injury ;  we  are  depriving  them  of  a  natural 
means  through  which  they  are  socialized  and  fitted  for 
the  community  life. 

2.  Children  Driven  into  Evil 

More  than  this,  in  denying  children  a  chance  to  play, 
we  are  driving  them  into  evil.  Vice  is  love  of  pleasure 
gone  wrong.  "  More  than  half  the  children  who  come 
into  the  Children's  Court  of  New  York  are  there  through 
the  thwarted  desire  for  play.     Much  crime  is  simply  mis- 

H 


114  Building  a  Community 

directed  energy."  (Coulter,  "  The  Children  in  the 
Shadow,"  p.  64.)  If  children  are  to  grow  up  strong, 
vigorous,  alert,  efficient,  socialized,  moral,  they  must  have 
food,  air,  sunshine,  recreation,  and  play.  To  deny  them 
a  chance  to  play  is  as  great  a  wrong  as  to  deny  them  food. 
Dr.  George  J.  Fisher,  International  Secretary  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  says :  "  An  unfortunately  large  number  of 
our  population  do  not  have  the  physical  basis  of  being 
good."  Children  do  not  want  to  be  bad;  but  in  denying 
them  a  chance  to  play  and  driving  them  into  secret  play, 
we  are  forcing  them  into  evil  ways. 

The  failure  to  recognize  this  primary  need  of  man  for 
recreation  and  to  provide  adequate  facilities  for  its  de- 
velopment, means  an  increasingly  large  number  of  per- 
sons who  are  not  fully  socialized  and  coordinated.  In  a 
word,  it  means  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of  persons 
who  are  in  danger  of  becoming  non-socialized  or  desocial- 
ized — that  is  unadjusted  and  delinquent. 

3.  Adults  Cannot  Play 

What  is  true  of  children  is  no  less  true  of  adults.  The 
average  community  offers  few  means  for  innocent  and 
helpful  recreation.  There  are  some  parks  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  city,  started  often  by  the  street-car  com- 
panies for  their  own  profit.  But  there  are  very  few 
means  of  recreation  accessible  to  the  rank  and  file  of  men. 
No  wonder  the  corner  saloon,  with  its  bright  lights,  its 
laughter,  its  fellowship,  has  attracted  so  many.  No  won- 
der that  pool-rooms  are  crowded  and  that  cheap  theaters 
flourish.  It  is  true  that  we  have  some  sports  that  attract 
thousands  every  day  for  months  together.  Baseball  may 
almost  be  called  the  American  national  game.     But  base- 


Play  and  Recreation  115 

ball  is  a  sorry  sort  of  sport  for  the  thousands  who  crowd 
the  bleachers.  Here  we  find  eighteen  men,  usually  pro- 
fessionals, engaged  in  a  game  of  skill  and  a  struggle  for 
victory,  while  thousands  of  men  sit  around  as  mere  spec- 
tators. It  is  far  better  for  all  to  play  as  amateurs  than 
for  thousands  to  watch  eighteen  professionals  in  action. 
Thus  it  is  that  most  men  take  their  exercise  by  proxy, 
and  a  pretty  poor  substitute  it  is  for  the  real  sport. 

4.  Play  is  Commercialized 

But  there  is  a  darker  side  to  this  question  of  recreation 
which  must  be  noted.  The  failure  on  the  part  of  a  com- 
munity to  provide  adequate  means  of  recreation  furnishes 
designing  men  with  the  opportunity  they  crave.  In  our 
time  play  has  been  commercialized,  and  as  a  consequence 
it  has  been  demoralized  and  degraded.  No  man  can  con- 
template the  means  and  agencies  of  amusement  in  the 
modern  city  without  some  deep  fears.  Amusement  is 
now  run  for  profit,  and  it  is  falling  lower  and  lower  in 
the  scale.  It  is  most  regrettable  that  so  many  forms  of 
modern  amusement  excite  the  fighting  instinct,  while  not 
a  few  gain  their  popularity  by  exciting  sex-impulses. 
Many  of  the  common  amusements  of  modern  society  are 
those  which  appeal  to  the  most  primary  instincts  of  man, 
and  consequently  do  nothing  to  elevate  him  or  improve 
society.  Some  of  the  modern  forms  of  amusement  are 
bad ;  many  of  them  are  frivolous ;  few  are  what  may  be 
called  recreation.  Play  has  become  distraction,  amuse- 
ment has  become  dissipation.  By  our  failure  to  provide 
adequate  means  of  recreation  we  are  setting  a  premium 
on  dance-halls  and  saloons,  cheap  and  nasty  shows,  and 
questionable  summer  gardens. 


116  Building  a  Community 

THE  COMMUNITY  PROGRAM 

In  this  question  of  play  and  recreation,  as  in  so  many 
others,  there  must  be  a  change  in  thought  before  there 
can  be  a  change  in  conditions. 

1.  The  Church  Must  Educate 

This  suggests  the  work  of  the  church  with  reference  to 
the  question.  The  church  can  render  a  large  service  by 
teaching  the  religious  meaning  of  life  and  showing  the 
moral  value  of  play. 

In  the  fullest  and  truest  sense  nothing  that  is  common 
to  man  can  be  alien  to  the  Christian.  We  need  to  remem- 
ber that  Christ  has  come  not  to  condemn  the  world,  but  to 
save  the  world ;  he  has  come  not  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil ; 
not  to  empty,  but  to  fill  life.  No  one  probably  would 
have  thought  of  inviting  John  the  Baptist  to  a  wedding; 
but  it  was  perfectly  natural  to  invite  Jesus ;  it  was  natural 
for  him  to  go  and  to  add  to  the  joys  of  the  occasion. 

We  must  educate  people  out  of  the  negative  and  indif- 
ferent attitude  toward  play  and  recreation.  We  must 
show  the  moral  and  religious  value  of  all  human  activities 
and  must  employ  every  means  that  will  promote  health, 
happiness,  morality,  and  life.  That  is,  instead  of  seek- 
ing to  repress  natural  and  normal  human  impulses,  we 
must  give  them  creative  expression  and  enlist  them  in 
the  service  of  God.  Beyond  all  we  should  recognize  the 
fact  that  play,  which  is  natural  to  man,  in  itself  is  good, 
and  may  be  made  a  means  of  grace.  The  evils  of  sport, 
and  they  are  many  as  now  conducted,  are  collateral  and 
not  intrinsic.  The  social  worker  must  therefore  elimi- 
nate the  bad  features  and  redeem  play  for  its  higher  uses. 


Play  and  Recreation  117 

2.  The  Church  Must  Cooperate 

Every  community  should  have  a  definite,  practical,  and 
constructive  program  of  recreation.  There  are  two 
aspects  of  this  program  which  may  be  noted,  the  negative 
and  the  positive.  In  every  community  there  should  be  a 
well-understood  policy  of  repression  of  all  evil  forms  of 
recreation.  The  community  should  have  some  good  rules 
and  ordinances  for  the  regulation  of  all  forms  of  recrea- 
tion, such  as  theaters,  moving-picture  shows,  dance-halls, 
recreation  parks,  and  public  clubs.  The  community  may 
well  have  a  censorship  committee  whose  duty  it  shall  be 
to  know  the  character  of  all  shows  and  the  conduct  of  all 
amusement  places.  The  people  should  have  an  efficient 
and  willing  police  department  that  will  faithfully  enforce 
the  laws  and  safeguard  the  young. 

But  this  negative  work,  important  enough  in  its  place, 
is  yet  but  a  mere  incident  in  our  program.  We  must  go 
forward  and  work  along  constructive,  suggestive,  helpful 
lines.  Too  long  our  efforts  have  been  negative  and  re- 
pressive when  they  should  have  been  constructive  and 
expressive.  Many  of  our  moral  and  religious  agencies 
have  sought  to  repair  the  damages  of  vice  when  they 
should  have  sought  to  promote  the  development  of  virtue  ; 
they  have  been  shelters  for  the  overdriven  when  they 
should  have  been  power-houses  for  all.  Effort  must 
become  creative  rather  than  negative,  and  must  encourage 
expression  rather  than  repression. 

3.  Provision  for  Recreation 

The  first  thing  is  for  the  community  to  provide  ade- 
quate means   for  the  proper  recreation  of  the  people. 


118  Building  a  Community 

The  place  to  begin  is  with  the  children  in  the  provision 
of  proper  play  facilities.  Society  has  committed  the 
greatest  wrong  against  the  child — and  the  wrong  against 
the  child  is  the  greatest  wrong  of  all — in  making  private 
property  of  the  earth  and  in  cheating  the  child  out  of  a 
chance  to  play.  Society  that  would  be  moral  and  Chris- 
tian must  repair  this  wrong,  and  must  guarantee  the 
child  its  right  to  play,  to  be  a  child.  In  many  of  our 
cities  a  beginning  has  been  made  in  the  establishment  of 
playgrounds  and  recreation  centers.  But  these  are  few 
and  inadequate  at  best,  and  do  not  fairly  meet  the  need. 

Something  can  be  done  to  meet  the  need  by  equipping 
school-yards  with  apparatus  for  outdoor  play.  Better  a 
playground  without  a  schoolhouse  than  a  schoolhouse 
without  a  playground.  The  basements  of  school  build- 
ings should  be  equipped  with  gymnastic  apparatus,  swim- 
ming-pools, and  other  forms  of  indoor  recreation.  In 
crowded  cities  the  roofs  of  schoolhouses  and  public  build- 
ings can  be  used  as  roof-gardens.  For  the  present,  till 
other  facilities  are  provided,  certain  streets  may  be  closed 
to  traffic  at  certain  hours  and  children  allowed  to  play  in 
them.  Parks  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  with  boulevards 
and  speedways — for  horses  and  automobiles — are  no  sub- 
stitute for  playgrounds  near  the  children.  And  city 
squares  with  well-kept  lawns  and  warnings  to  keep  off 
the  grass  are  simply  a  provocation  to  the  real  child. 
"  The  child  has  a  right  to  some  fun,"  says  Professor 
Rauschenbusch,  "  for  which  it  does  not  have  to  pay  a 
nickel."  Children  on  the  street,  crowding  one  another, 
giggling  and  idle,  is  a  sorry  sight  beside  children  shouting 
and  cooperating  in  play. 

In  many  of  our  cities  it  is  proved  that  the  opening  of  a 


Play  and  Recreation  119 

playground,  even  in  the  worst  districts,  greatly  reduces 
the  number  of  cases  in  juvenile  and  criminal  courts. 
More  than  this,  the  opening  of  a  playground  does  much 
to  allay  race-suspicion  and  to  promote  friendliness.  On 
the  West  Side  of  Chicago,  in  a  section  where  foreigners 
of  many  nationalities  met,  race  quarrels  were  frequent 
among  the  children.  Finally  a  playground  was  opened, 
and  in  a  short  time  race  strife  disappeared.  Jews  and 
Gentiles,  Italians  and  Germans,  Hungarians  and  Ameri- 
cans, played  on  the  same  teams  and  thus  learned  how  to 
live  together. 

Beyond  this,  however,  something  should  be  done  to 
provide  recreation  facilities  for  all  and  to  develop  a  com- 
munity spirit.  We  need  some  kind  of  recreation  in  which 
the  people  can  participate  actively  and  not  look  on  as 
mere  spectators.  Folk  festivals  are  doing  much  to  social- 
ize people,  to  bring  them  together,  and  to  make  them 
conscious  of  their  common  life.  Pageants  showing  the 
history  of  the  community  may  do  something  to  make  life 
interesting  and  develop  a  community  spirit.  Quite  as 
important  as  anything  else,  society  must  make  it  possible 
for  the  family  to  have  recreation  together.  There  is  dan- 
ger ahead  when  the  family  splits  up  for  its  recreation. 

4.  All  Agencies  Must  Help 

The  various  agencies  and  organizations  in  the  com- 
munity must  do  their  share.  The  churches  may  perform 
a  large  service  by  providing  rooms  which  shall  be  used  as 
social  centers.  An  amateur  dramatic  club  may  keep  the 
young  interested  and  cause  them  to  lose  their  taste  for 
many  of  the  cheap  and  nasty  shows.  The  school  can  pro- 
vide playgrounds  and  can  teach  the  children  how  to  play. 


120  Building  a  Community 

The  women's  clubs  can  keep  the  question  before  the  peo- 
ple and  can  render  a  large  service  by  giving  advice.  The 
community  can  furnish  the  opportunity  for  harmless 
recreation  and  play,  and  can  allow  the  people  to  help 
themselves.  The  American  city  must  either  provide 
proper  play  facilities  for  the  young  or  it  must  enlarge  its 
prisons.  It  will  do  one  or  the  other  according  to  its  wis- 
dom or  its  folly.  If  it  will  provide  proper  play  facilities, 
in  a  generation  it  can  close  up  half  of  its  present  prisons. 
If  it  neglects  the  children  it  must  enlarge  its  jails.  Joseph 
Lee  is  right :  "  The  child  without  a  playground  is  father 
to  the  man  without  a  job."  In  view  of  all  this  we  may 
adopt  as  an  important  item  in  our  community  program 
the  following :  a  well-equipped  and  well-supervised  play- 
ground within  half  a  mile  of  every  home.  The  church- 
member  and  the  social  worker  must  give  attention  to  this 
important  question  of  play.  "If  you  want  to  know  what 
a  child  is,  study  his  play ;  if  you  want  to  affect  what  he 
shall  be,  direct  the  form  of  play."  (Joseph  Lee,  in  Fore- 
word to  "A  Philosophy  of  Play,"  by  Gulick.)  There  is 
a  world  of  meaning  in  the  old  saying  of  the  Talmud : 
"  The  world  is  to  be  saved  by  the  laughter  of  school 
children."  The  social  worker  may  well  seek  to  realize 
the  ideal  of  the  prophet :  "  The  streets  of  the  city  were 
full  of  boys  and  girls  playing  in  the  broad  places  thereof." 

FOR  CLASS  USE 

1.  Discuss  the  value  of  play  in  the  life  of  man. 

2.  Show  how  children  are  driven  into  evil  through  lack 
of  play-facilities  in  the  city. 

3.  Show  the  need  for  proper  play-facilities  for  adults. 


Play  and  Recreation  121 


4.  Indicate  the  opportunity  and  the  obligation  of  the 
church  in  providing  for  wholesome  recreation. 

5.  What  is  your  own  suggestion  for  your  own  com- 
munity ? 

6.  References :  Atkinson,  "  The  Church  and  the  Peo- 
ple's Play  " ;  Gulick,  "  A  Philosophy  of  Play  " ;  Edwards, 

'  Popular  Amusements  " ;  Wilson,  "  Evolution  of  the 
Country  Community,"  Chapter  XIII ;  Gross,  "  The  Play 
of  Animals"  and  "The  Play  of  Man";  Lee,  "Play  in 
Education  " ;  Ward  and  Edwards,  "  Christianizing  Com- 
munity Life  " ;  Coulter,  "  The  Children  of  the  Shadow  " ; 
Play  and  Recreation  Association  of  America,  1  Madison 
Avenue,  New  York ;  Mangold,  "  Problems  of  Child  Wel- 
fare," Chapter  IV;  Social  Service  Message  of  Men  and 
Religion  Movement,  Chapter  V. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
DISEASE  AND  HEALTH 

The  Son  of  man,  according-  to  his  own  simple  and  yet 
majestic  word,  has  come  not  to  condemn  the  world  but 
to  save  the  world.  (John  12  :  47.)  The  prophets  had 
foretold  the  coming  of  one  who  would  be  anointed  of 
God  to  preach  good  tidings  to  the  meek,  to  comfort  those 
who  mourn,  to  heal  the  sick,  to  bind  up  the  broken- 
hearted. The  Gospel  records  show  how  during  his 
earthly  ministry  Jesus  fulfilled  this  hope  of  the  prophets 
and  spent  a  large  part  of  his  time  healing  the  sick  and 
helping  the  needy.  And  these  things  he  did  because  he 
loved  men  and  came  to  do  the  will  of  his  Father. 

Jesus  regarded  sickness  as  something  contrary  to  the 
Father's  purpose  for  his  children,  and  so  he  sought  to 
save  men  from  it.  This  is  made  evident  in  his  teaching 
and  in  his  work.  First  of  all  he  regarded  some  forms  of 
mental  and  physical  disease  as  the  work  of  demons. 
(Mark  5  :  2-15;  9  :  17-26.)  Another  time,  on  a  Sab- 
bath Day  when  healing  a  woman  infirm  and  crippled,  he 
gave  as  a  reason  for  his  interest  that  she  had  been  bound 
by  Satan,  lo  these  eighteen  years.  (Luke  13  :  11-16.) 
But  he  saw  also  that  much  sickness  and  suffering  were 
due  to  the  misdeeds  of  men ;  and  so  he  charged  the  invalid 
of  thirty-eight  years'  standing  to  "  Sin  no  more  lest  a 
worse  thing  befall  thee"  (John  5  :  5-14). 

He  regarded  the  healing  of  disease  as  an  essential  part 

122 


Disease  and  Health  123 

of  his  saving  ministry.  When  challenged  to  show  his 
credentials  he  said :  "  Go  and  show  John  what  things  ye 
have  seen  and  heard,  how  the  blind  receive  their  sight,  the 
lame  walk,  the  deaf  hear,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  the  dead 
are  raised  up,  and  to  the  poor  the  Good  News  is 
preached."  (Matt.  11  :  2-6.)  These  things  were  not 
secondary  and  incidental,  for  nothing  was  secondary  and 
incidental  to  him.  They  were  rather  a  part  of  his  divine 
commission  and  were  an  essential  part  of  his  saving  min- 
istry. (Luke  4  :  18-20.)  And  he  charged  his  disciples 
to  perform  the  same  healing  ministry  (Matt.  10  :  7,8); 
and  he  promised  them  "  the  works  that  I  do  shall  ye  do 
also ;  and  greater  works  than  these  shall  ye  do,  because  I 
go  unto  my  Father"  (John  14  :  12).  Not  sickness,  but 
health  is  the  will  of  God  for  man.  The  redemption  of 
Christ  includes  the  redemption  of  man's  body.  This  is 
an  all-sufficient  warrant  for  our  warfare  against  disease 
and  our  interest  in  health. 

THE  WASTES  OF  DISEASE 

One  of  the  heaviest  losses  that  society  sustains  is 
due  to  sickness.  It  is  needless  here  to  give  statistics 
in  detail  showing  the  number  of  deaths  from  various 
diseases  in  this  country.  Nor  is  it  possible  to  give  the 
average  time  lost  by  each  person  during  the  year. 
The  total  number  of  deaths  in  the  United  States  is 
about  1,500,000  each  year.  It  is  estimated  that  for 
every  death  there  are  at  least  two  additional  persons 
who  are  sick.  This  means  that  at  least  3,000,000 
persons,  about  one  in  thirty  in  the  population,  are 
ineffective    through    sickness    and    are    compelled    to 


124  Building  a  Community 

undergo  pain  and  loss.  This  means  an  incalculable 
loss  to  society  from  all  this  sickness  and  death,  and  it 
means  an  immeasurable  amount  of  sorrow  and  suffer- 
ing. 

As  an  illustration  we  may  give  the  result  of  an  im- 
portant investigation  of  the  United  States  Public 
Health  Service,  for  the  purpose  of  determining  the 
actual  loss  sustained  from  malaria  by  the  residents  in 
an  area  of  25  square  miles  of  farming  territory.  The 
amount  lost  from  malaria  in  the  area  under  observa- 
tion, because  of  inability  to  cultivate  and  gather  crops, 
plus  the  amount  paid  out  for  doctors'  bills  and  drugs, 
averaged  $11.50  per  acre  under  cultivation  during  1918. 
In  a  near-by  control  area  of  similar  size  the  economic 
loss  from  malaria  amounted  to  $15.50  per  acre  during 
1919,  while  the  loss  in  the  original  area  under  investi- 
gation was  reduced  from  $11.50  in  1918  to  $1.50  in 
1919,  mainly  through  quinine  supportive  treatment. 
(Annual  Report  of  the  Surgeon  General  of  Public 
Health  Service,  1920.)  This  calls  attention  to  an  im- 
portant item  in  our  community  program,  and  indicates 
a  very  urgent  duty. 

In  our  discussion  of  this  subject  we  must  make  a 
distinction  between  what  may  be  called  unnecessary 
sickness  and  sickness  that  is  inevitable  in  our  common 
lot.  So  long  as  man  is  mortal  and  lives  in  this  un- 
finished world,  with  its  physical  conditions  and  its 
changing  seasons,  he  will  be  subject  to  many  forms  of 
disease  and  will  have  to  bear  much  suffering.  The 
frank  recognition  of  this  fact  will  make  superfluous  a 
lot  of  rhetoric  and  will  teach  us  moderation  in  state- 
ment and  discrimination  in  thought.     But  when  full 


Disease  and  Health  125 


allowance  is  made  for  all  these  conditions  and  contin- 
gencies it  yet  remains  true  that  there  is  a  vast  amount 
of  unnecessary  sickness  and  preventable  suffering.  In 
like  manner  a  distinction  must  be  made  between  unneces- 
sary and  premature  death,  which  comes  to  so  many, 
and  natural  and  necessary  death,  which  comes  to  all  in 
the  will  of  God.  We  believe  that  the  life  of  man  is 
made  for  the  whole  Kingdom  of  God ;  and  some  time 
in  the  will  of  God  man  is  called  to  lay  aside  this  house 
of  clay  that  he  may  be  clothed  upon  with  the  house 
which  is  from  heaven.  (2  Cor.  1  :  3.)  But  this  trans- 
lation ought  to  come  to  man  at  the  close  of  a  long  life; 
and  the  casting  off  of  the  body  ought  to  be  the  mere 
outgrowing  of  this  earthly  vesture.  All  this  is  very 
different  from  that  needless  and  premature  death  that 
comes  to  so  many.  In  our  own  land  we  find  that 
about  one-seventh  of  all  persons  born  into  the  world 
die  before  the  close  of  the  first  year ;  and  fully  one-half 
never  reach  the  twenty-fourth  year.  These  deaths  are 
premature  and  they  are  needless.  This  lays  upon  man 
and  society  a  heavy  responsibility,  and  suggests  one 
of  the  most  urgent  items  in  our  social  program. 

THE  CAUSES  OF  DISEASE 

In  these  latter  times  we  have  learned  that  disease  and 
sickness  have  causes  that  are  definite  and  knowable.  The 
time  has  been  when  men  believed  that  sickness  was  due 
to  satanic  influences  that  are  permitted  in  some  way  to 
torment  man.  It  must  be  confessed  that  there  is  some- 
thing almost  satanic  in  the  way  diseases  and  plagues  have 
afflicted  mankind  and  desolated  the  earth.     The  time  has 


126  Building  a  Community 


been  also  when  men  attributed  disease  and  suffering  to 
the  will  of  God. 

The  Mohammedan  believes  that  heaven  fixes  the  death- 
rate;  that  one  is  flying  in  the  face  of  Providence  if  he 
calls  a  physician ;  and  they  who  talk  about  sanitation  are 
tempting  the  lightnings.  There  are  many  people  in  Chris- 
tian lands  who  hold  pretty  much  the  same  view  of  things. 
This  is  the  reason  perhaps  why  some  otherwise  good 
women  "  enjoy  poor  health  " ;  they  suppose  that  it  is  due 
to  some  mysterious  Providence  and  is  a  sign  of  God's 
gracious  discipline  of  the  soul. 

It  may  be  said  that  Divine  Providence  has  established 
the  relation  between  cause  and  effect,  and  where  men 
allow  evil  causes  and  conditions  to  exist,  the  law  of  God 
brings  penalty  and  disaster.  But  we  know  today  that 
God  does  not  ordain  sickness,  nor  does  heaven  fix  the 
death-rate,  but  these  things  are  due  to  the  ignorance  and 
neglect,  the  selfishness  and  greed,  of  men.  The  most 
satanic  thing  about  disease  is  the  brutal  selfishness  of 
men  with  regard  to  the  welfare  of  their  fellows,  and 
the  wicked  indifference  of  society  to  unsanitary  condi- 
tions. There  are  many  causes  and  conditions  which 
determine  the  amount  of  sickness  and  the  number  of 
deaths ;  and  these  are  all  human  causes ;  some  personal, 
some  social. 

1.  Two  Classes  of  Diseases 

According  to  Dean  Charles  R.  Bardeen,  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Wisconsin,  the  diseases  which  afflict  mankind  may 
be  roughly  divided  into  two  classes,  constitutional  and 
parasitic.  The  former  are  due  to  defects  in  the  human 
mechanism  and  may  be  inherited,  or  they  may  be  ac- 


Disease  and  Health  127 


quired.  Those  that  are  constitutional  may  be  innate, 
being  inherited  from  defective  ancestors,  or  they  may  be 
merely  congenital  due  to  racial  poisons  and  the  parents' 
conditions.  Those  that  are  acquired  may  be  caused  by 
adverse  conditions  to  which  the  body  is  subjected,  such 
as  poor,  insufficient,  or  improper  food  and  drinks,  bad 
air,  dust,  extreme  dampness  and  cold,  and  exposure  to 
various  poisons,  as  in  many  trades. 

The  latter,  the  parasitic  diseases,  are  due  to  the  growth 
in  the  body  of  micro-organisms,  which  feed  upon  its 
fluids  and  tissues  and  at  the  same  time  give  off  poisonous 
substances.  The  normal  body  has  considerable  power  of 
resistance  to  the  invasion  of  most  of  the  parasites  which 
cause  disease.  But  when  the  constitution  is  weakened, 
as  by  the  excessive  use  of  alcohol,  the  resistance  to  para- 
sitic invasion  becomes  less  marked;  also  the  toxins  pro- 
duced by  the  micro-organisms  cause  more  or  less  per- 
manent constitutional  damage.  In  many  instances  it  is 
not  possible  to  determine  whether  a  disease  is  primarily 
constitutional  or  parasitic.  (Quoted  by  Van  Hise,  in 
"The  Conservation  of  National  Resources,"  p.  365.) 

This  describes  the  nature  of  disease  and  the  manner 
of  its  manifestation.  We  must  go  further  and  consider 
the  direct  causes  that  are  responsible  for  much  disease 
and  a  large  proportion  of  deaths.  In  this  chapter  we  are 
considering  mainly  the  social  causes  of  social  evils,  and 
so  we  do  not  discuss  in  detail  the  personal  causes  of  sick- 
ness and  suffering. 

2.  Some  Diseases  Due  to  Ignorance 

We  may  note  that  much  sickness  and  suffering  are 
due  to  the  ignorance  of  men.     There  are  certain  condi- 


128  Building  a  Community 

tions  which  hedge  up  man's  life  here,  certain  laws  that 
must  be  obeyed,  if  man  would  live  and  prosper.  Man 
has  been  very  slow  in  learning  these  conditions  and  slower 
still  in  obeying  these  laws.  The  results  of  this  ignorance 
and  disobedience  are  seen  in  the  high  death-rate  and  the 
great  amount  of  sickness  and  suffering.  People  are  in- 
different to  the  laws  of  health  and  so  they  must  pay  the 
penalty  in  suffering  and  loss.  They  eat  improper  foods 
and  some  eat  to  excess.  Many  neglect  the  simple  rules 
of  hygiene  with  reference  to  sleep,  air,  exercise,  and  rest, 
and  nature  exacts  a  heavy  forfeit.  Some  are  running 
the  pace  that  kills  and  are  wearing  out  their  hearts  and 
kidneys.  In  many  cases,  perhaps  in  most  cases,  it  is  a 
sin  for  an  adult  to  be  sick.  It  means  that  he  is  either 
grossly  ignorant  of  the  laws  of  health  or  that  he  violates 
those  laws  in  self-will.  But  ignorance  is  a  sin  where 
knowledge  is  possible.  Man  must  know  the  conditions 
of  healthful  living. 

3.  Vices  Cause  Diseases 

We  must  recognize  the  fact  also  that  much  sickness  and 
suffering  are  directly  due  to  the  vices  of  men.  All  stu- 
dents of  health  know  that  impurity  diseases  and  alcohol- 
ism are  responsible  for  much  suffering  and  misery. 

We  know  today  that  these  are  what  may  be  called 
racial  poisons ;  that  is,  they  have  the  fatal  power  of  affect- 
ing and  blighting  the  developing  human  life  and  thereby 
causing  defects  in  the  human  mechanism.  These  two 
things  are  responsible  for  a  large  proportion  of  feeble- 
mindedness and  epilepsy. 

Where  the  syphilitic  taint  is  found  in  one  or  both 
parents  few  children  are  born  normal,  and  not  more  than 


Disease  and  Health  129 

two  per  cent  live  beyond  infancy.  These  two  things  are 
responsible  also  for  much  tuberculosis  and  many  nervous 
disorders,  in  that  they  mean  an  impaired  constitution  that 
is  susceptible  to  disease  and  easily  yields  at  the  first 
attack.  In  the  most  literal  sense  the  sins  of  the  fathers 
are  visited  upon  the  children  unto  the  third  and  fourth 
generation.  More  than  this;  the  blight  of  these  evils 
falls  upon  the  human  race  and  causes  a  large  proportion 
of  the  sickness  and  suffering. 

In  the  New  York  hospitals  there  were  treated,  in  1901, 
243,000  cases  of  impurity  disease.  In  the  hospitals  of 
the  city  that  same  year  there  were  treated  41,585  cases 
of  other  infectious  and  contagious  diseases.  This  means 
that  there  were  six  times  as  many  cases  of  impurity  dis- 
ease treated  as  all  the  other  infectious  diseases  such  as 
tuberculosis,  smallpox,  diphtheria,  and  typhoid  fever. 
When  we  remember  that  impurity  disease  is  itself  a  cause 
and  condition  of  other  diseases,  the  indictment  against  it 
is  pretty  heavy. 

Dr.  J.  H.  Stokes  says  that  syphilis  "  is  a  master  dis- 
ease, the  peer  and  indeed  the  superior  of  tuberculosis,  the 
great  white  plague  "  in  the  wide  range  of  its  influence 
over  the  fate  of  mankind  present  and  future.  Sir 
William  Osier  coined  the  famous  phrase  which  for  all 
time  expresses  the  relation  of  syphilis  to  medicine: 
"  Know  syphilis  in  its  manifestations  and  relations  and 
all  other  things  clinical  will  be  added  unto  you.  No 
lane  is  so  long  that  one  may  not  find  syphilis  at  its  turn- 
ing. The  disease  has  changed  the  destiny  of  mankind 
upon  the  earth."  ("Today's  World  Problem  in  Disease 
Prevention,"  p.  59.)  Humanity  pays  a  heavy  penalty 
in  sickness  and  death  for  its  vices. 
I 


130  Building  a  Community 


4.  Fatigue  a  Cause  of  Disease 

But  we  must  note  another  cause  which  affects  the 
human  constitution  and  is  responsible  first  and  last  for 
much  ill  health  and  suffering.  In  all  times  men  have 
known  that  exertion  induces  fatigue  and  that  fatigue  is 
followed  by  serious  consequences.  But  it  is  only  in  these 
latter  times  that  we  have  learned  the  real  nature  of 
fatigue  and  have  discovered  its  seriousness.  All  exer- 
tion means  the  waste  of  tissue  and  the  expenditure  of 

power. 

In  normal  cases,  where  this  exertion  is  not  excessive, 
the  waste  is  removed  nearly  as  fast  as  it  is  created,  and 
thus  the  balance  of  the  body  is  maintained.  But  in  other 
cases,  where  the  exertion  is  excessive  and  prolonged,  this 
waste  is  created  faster  than  it  can  be  removed.  It  there- 
fore remains  in  the  system  and  is  disseminated  throughout 
the  body.  This  waste  material  is  poisonous,  and  the 
consequence  is  that  the  body  is  poisoned  by  its  own  waste 
material. 

5.  Unsanitary  Conditions  Induce  Disease 

This  is  not  all,  but  there  is  found  to  be  a  direct  relation 
between  sanitary  conditions  and  the  morbidity  rate.  In 
another  chapter,  when  dealing  with  housing,  we  showed 
that  there  is  a  direct  relation  between  the  number  of 
rooms  a  family  occupies  and  the  amount  of  sickness  and 
number  of  deaths.  The  figures  from  Berlin  are  signifi- 
cant ;  but  no  less  are  those  from  British  towns.  Thus  in 
Scottish  towns  it  is  found  that  boys  from  one-room 
families  are  12.9  lbs.  lighter  and  5  in.  shorter  than  boys 
of  the  same  age  from  four-room  families ;  and  girls-  from 


Disease  and  Health  131 

one-room  families  are  14  lbs.  lighter  and  5.3  in.  shorter 
than  girls  of  the  same  age  from  four-room  families.  In 
Johnstown,  Penna.,  it  is  found  that  the  death-rate  of 
infants  in  families  with  an  income  of  less  than  $10  a  week 
was  271  per  1,000,  while  in  families  with  a  larger  income 
the  rate  was  only  a  little  over  50  per  1,000.  In  the  seventh 
ward  of  Philadelphia,  with  bad  housing  conditions,  the 
death-rate  from  tuberculosis  was  447  per  100,000  of 
population.  In  the  thirty-fourth  ward,  with  normal 
housing  conditions,  the  death-rate  from  the  same  disease 
was  100  per  100,000. 

Such  figures  from  many  cities  could  be  quoted  indefi- 
nitely, and  they  all  confirm  one  conclusion.  Wherever 
investigations  have  been  made  and  statistics  gathered  it 
appears  that  there  is  a  direct  relation  between  sanitary 
conditions  and  the  number  of  deaths.  A  morbidity  and 
mortality  map  of  any  city  shows  clearly  that  much  sick- 
ness and  a  high  death-rate  are  always  found  in  connec- 
tion with  unsanitary  tenements  and  overcrowded  rooms. 
In  all  lands  the  industrial  employment  of  women  means  a 
heightened  infant  mortality.  In  cities  everywhere  the 
number  of  deaths  in  a  block  from  certain  diseases  holds 
a  direct  relation  to  the  number  of  rooms  a  family  occu- 
pies. (Johnson,  "  The  Wastage  of  Child  Life,"  Chapter 
I,  IV.) 

All  this  shows  that  the  amount  of  sickness  and  the 
number  of  deaths  are  due  in  large  part  to  social  and  eco- 
nomic conditions  over  which  society  has  direct  control 
and  for  which  it  is  directly  responsible.  Since  the 
community  is  responsible  for  community  conditions, 
it  is  evidently  responsible  for  the  morbidity  and  mortality 
rate. 


132  Building  a  Community 

6.  Causes  of  Most  Deadly  Diseases 

There  are  several  well-known  diseases  which  cause  a 
large  proportion  of  the  sickness  and  are  responsible  for 
many  of  the  deaths  in  modern  society.  The  plague, 
cholera,  yellow  fever,  typhoid  fever,  smallpox,  typhus, 
and  diphtheria  are  some  of  the  historic  scourges  which 
have  swept  over  the  world  from  time  to  time  and  have 
caused  innumerable  deaths.  These  are  all  caused  by  the 
presence  in  the  human  body  of  minute  germs  which  waste 
and  destroy  the  system ;  and  these  are  all  filth  diseases  in 
that  the  germs  develop  in  filth  and  are  spread  by  neglect. 
The  same  is  true  concerning  typhoid  and  dysentery,  in- 
cluding with  the  latter  summer  complaint,  cholera- 
infantum,  and  similar  diarrhoeal  diseases. 

These  diseases  are  due  one  and  all  in  the  first  place  to 
polluted  water,  infected  milk,  dirty  food,  and  poisoned 
air;  and  many  of  these  germs  are  carried  by  flies,  mos- 
quitoes, fleas,  and  rats.  Tuberculosis,  one  of  the  most 
common  and  most  deadly  thus  far,  is  what  may  be  called 
a  "  crowd  disease."  It  is  due  to  a  germ  which  develops 
in  the  human  system;  but  it  does  not  develop  unless  the 
system  is  itself  reduced  by  overcrowding,  bad  air,  defec- 
tive nutrition,  and  general  neglect.  But  it  is  highly  in- 
fectious and  contagious  and  is  easily  communicated  to 
others. 

The  sum  of  the  matter  is  this ;  that  sickness  and  disease 
are  due,  in  large  part  at  least,  to  human  and  social  causes. 
These  causes  can  be  known,  and  they  are  all  within  the 
control  of  man.  Man  and  society  are  responsible  for 
fully  ninety-nine  per  cent  of  the  sickness  and  deaths  that 
occur. 


Disease  and  Health  133 

THE  CONSERVATION  OF  HEALTH 

The  elimination  of  disease  and  the  conservation  of  life 
are  among  the  most  urgent  tasks  before  man  and  society. 
We  have  seen  that  the  causes  of  disease  are  many  and 
complex  and  that  they  are  partly  personal  and  partly 
social.  This  means  that  the  efforts  of  men  and  society 
in  eliminating  disease  must  follow  many  lines.  We  must 
know  what  are  the  causes  of  disease  and  must  deal  with 
these  causes.  Health  depends  upon  certain  conditions 
that  are  definite  and  well  known.  There  is  no  chance 
about  these  things,  and  we  must  get  rid  of  the  old  notion 
of  accident  and  fate.  We  must  know  for  one  thing  that 
constitutional  defects  are  not  necessary,  but  are  induced 
by  certain  definite  causes.  We  know  also  that  the  plague 
and  pestilence  are  not  due  to  any  "  mysterious  dispensa- 
tion of  Providence,"  but  are  caused  wholly  by  the  neglect 
and  sin  of  men.  Several  steps  in  our  program  of  elimi- 
nating disease  and  conserving  health  may  be  noted. 

1.  Eliminate  Racial  Poisons 

We  must  know  what  are  the  racial  poisons  and  prenatal 
causes,  and  must  deal  with  these.  Alcoholism  and 
venereal  disease  must  be  attacked  and  must  be  eliminated. 
We  must  instruct  the  people,  and  especially  the  young, 
concerning  these  things.  We  must  create  a  discriminat- 
ing and  militant  conscience  and  must  realize  that  when  a 
child  is  born  blind  or  epileptic,  when  it  is  feeble-minded 
or  scrofulous,  one  or  both  of  the  parents  must  rest  under 
a  heavy  suspicion.  This  may  be  hard,  and  no  doubt  it  is ; 
but  it  is  still  harder  to  have  a  life  blasted  and  to  cast 
heavy  burdens  upon  society.     By  education  and  by  law, 


134  Building  a  Community 

society  must  deal  with  these   racial  poisons  and  must 
destroy  them. 

2.  Sound  Bodies  for  All 

We  must  take  steps  to  secure  sound  bodies  for  all. 
This  applies  to  care  for  life  before  birth  and  after  birth. 
Society  should  know  what  are  the  conditions  likely  to 
cause  weakened  bodies  in  the  next  generation.,  and  society 
must  construct  and  constrain.  Child-bearing  mothers 
should  be  saved  from  needless  fatigue ;  they  should  not 
be  permitted  to  work  in  mill  or  factory  for  a  number  of 
weeks  before  and  after  child-birth;  better  still,  they 
should  not  be  subjected  to  fatiguing  conditions  during 
the  years  of  child-bearing. 

Society  must  guarantee  to  every  child  sufficient  food, 
pure  air,  sunshine,  and  a  chance  to  play.  We  do  not 
fully  understand  all  of  the  causes  and  conditions  of  dis- 
ease and  health ;  but  we  know  enough  to  guide  us.  Con- 
stitutional weakness  and  a  predisposition  to  certain  dis- 
eases may  be  counteracted  and  largely  overcome  by  care. 
Has  a  child  one  or  more  ancestors  who  were  tuberculous  ? 
There  is  no  reason  why  the  child  should  die  of  the  same 
disease;  but  where  there  is  this  taint  special  care  should 
be  taken.  Plenty  of  fresh  air,  nourishing  food,  and  care- 
ful living  will  enable  anyone  to  overcome  it.  It  is  worth 
noting  that  many  men  who  have  lived  to  an  old  age  were 
sickly  in  childhood.  Because  they  were  sickly  they  were 
given  special  care  and  attention;  the  persons  themselves 
conserved  their  strength  and  health ;  and  thus  they  lived 
out  their  allotted  span.  Whereas  many  who  were  sturdy 
in  childhood  neglected  their  health  and  abused  their 
bodies,  and  went  down  to  an  untimely  grave, 


Disease  and  Health  135 


3.  Remove  Bad  Conditions 


We  must  remove  all  bad  and  unsanitary  conditions. 
We  must  give  attention  to  such  things  as  housing,  water- 
supply,  milk,  and  air.  It  is  only  in  recent  times  that  man 
has  given  direct  attention  and  scientific  study  to  these 
things,  but  already  the  results  are  most  marked :  the  his- 
toric scourges  of  plague  and  cholera  are  practically  con- 
trolled and  eliminated. 

In  the  city  of  Havana  the  annual  death-rate  from 
yellow  fever,  in  the  eight  years  before  the  American 
occupation,  was  550  per  100,000.  In  the  first  six  years 
of  the  century,  after  sanitary  measures  had  been  applied, 
the  annual  death-rate  was  reduced  to  32  per  100,000. 
The  story  of  Panama  is  another  one  of  the  modern 
miracles  of  healing;  we  know  how,  by  the  application  of 
scientific  knowledge  and  methods,  what  was  once  a  pest 
spot  has  become  a  health  resort.  The  work  done  in  and 
around  army  camps,  during  the  World  War,  shows  what 
can  be  done  by  united  and  intelligent  action  to  reduce 
disease  and  conserve  life. 

4.  Cooperation  of  Community  Agencies 

There  must  be  a  cooperation  of  community  agencies  in 
behalf  of  health  conservation.  The  churches  can  do 
much  by  emphasizing  the  obligation  of  health  and  must 
make  people  know  that  sickness  is  sin.  The  laws  of  health 
are  as  divine  as  the  Ten  Commandments  or  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount,  for  they  are  all  expressions  of  the  wisdom 
and  will  of  the  one  Creator.  The  churches  must  teach 
the  people  that  in  most  cases  it  is  a  sin  to  be  sick;  they 
must  create  a  conscience  on  the  question  of  health ;  they 


136  Building  a  Community 

must  make  men  realize  that  they  are  under  obligation  to 
study  the  causes  of  disease ;  above  all,  they  must  make  a 
community  know  that  every  unnecessary  death  is  a  com- 
munity crime.  Ignorance  is  a  sin  where  knowledge  is 
possible.  Every  community  is  responsible  for  its  over- 
death-rate. 

Further,  the  churches  can  create  a  conscience  which 
will  impel  the  people  to  take  thought  for  the  community 
welfare  and  to  conserve  community  conditions.  Every 
church  may  well  have  morbidity  and  mortality  maps  of 
their  community,  and  wherever  they  find  an  unusual 
number  of  cases  of  sickness  they  should  at  once  know 
the  cause  and  secure  action.  By  all  means  let  us  have 
good  laws  on  housing  and  sanitation ;  but  let  us  never 
forget  that  good  laws  are  only  possible  where  there  is  an 
intelligent  conscience,  and  they  are  only  fully  enforced 
where  there  is  a  conscientious  watchfulness.  By  all 
means  let  the  church  through  its  proper  agency  communi- 
cate with  the  state  board  of  health  and  with  the  public 
health  service  at  Washington.  These  will  furnish  excel- 
lent literature  for  distribution  and  will  suggest  some 
definite  lines  of  service. 

5.  Creation  of  Social  Conscience 

Another  thing:  we  must  create  in  men  a  sense  of  re- 
sponsibility for  the  effects  of  their  lives  and  the  condition 
of  their  property.  We  all  realize  that  it  is  actual  murder 
to  throw  strychnia  in  the  milk  bottle  or  to  shoot  a  man 
down  on  the  street.  We  can  all  condemn  assault  and 
murder  where  the  action  is  direct  and  immediate.  But 
we  do  not  realize  that  it  is  constructive  murder  to 
sell  adulterated  foods  and  to  work  people  beyond  their 


Disease  and  Health  137 

strength.  We  do  not  always  see  the  relation  between  a 
high  death-rate  and  the  neglect  of  civic  duties,  nor  do  we 
see  that  rent  taken  from  a  lunger  tenement  is  blood 
money.  The  church  and  society  must  create  this  sense 
of  social  responsibility;  they  must  make  men  know  that 
the  ownership  of  property  demands  personal  knowledge 
of  the  condition  of  that  property;  they  must  make  men 
know  that  they  are  their  brothers'  keeper  in  the  way 
they  manage  factories,  build  tenements,  conduct  city 
affairs  and  form  housing  codes. 

6.  Medical  Inspection  of  Children 

The  state  and  school  are  doing  much  to  reduce  the 
morbidity  rate  and  to  conserve  health.  But  they  can  do 
even  more  in  this  direction.  In  every  community  provi- 
sion should  be  made  for  the  careful  medical  inspection 
of  all  children  at  frequent  intervals.  The  eyes  and  throat 
should  be  examined,  the  question  of  nutrition  and  vitality 
should  be  considered.  Where  children  are  found  defec- 
tive at  any  point  they  should  receive  medical  treatment. 

But  the  state  must  go  farther  than  this,  and  must  know 
whether  the  child  is  living  in  unsatisfactory  conditions 
which  induce  disease  and  undermine  vitality.  We  may 
accept  the  dicta:  the  state  that  is  under  obligation  to 
educate  the  child  is  under  equal  obligation  to  see  that  it 
has  a  healthy  child  to  educate.  The  state  that  confesses 
an  obligation  to  care  for  the  sick  or  defective  man  is 
under  full  obligation  to  deal  with  the  causes  which  are 
responsible. 

Several  principles  must  be  accepted  by  society.  A  high 
death-rate  among  children  is  wholly  needless  and  is 
socially  criminal.     Every  preventible  death  is  a  reflection 


138  Building  a  Community 

upon  the  intelligence  and  religion  of  a  people.  The  death 
of  children  is  contrary  to  God's  will.  Every  death  below 
seventy  years  should  be  a  subject  of  serious  thought. 
Every  death  due  to  typhoid  fever,  tuberculosis,  lead 
poisoning,  diphtheria,  or  "  industrial  accident  "  should  be 
the  occasion  for  a  coroner's  inquest.  The  time  is  coming 
when  the  death-rate  of  a  community  will  be  the  measure 
of  a  community's  religion. 

FOR  CLASS  USE 

1.  What  was  Jesus'  attitude  toward  disease? 

2.  Indicate  some  of  the  wastes  of  disease. 

3.  Discuss  the  causes  of  disease. 

4.  What  causes  are  most  responsible  for  the  diseases 
of  your  community? 

5.  Which  of  the  causes  of  disease  may  be  most  easily 
removed  ? 

6.  Which  are  the  three  most  important  of  the  sugges- 
tions given  in  this  chapter  for  the  conservation  of  health  ? 

7.  What  is  the  next  step  in  your  own  community  ? 

8.  References :  Allen,  "  Civics  and  Health  " ;  Cabot, 
"  Social  Service  and  the  Art  of  Healing  " ;  Fisher,  "  Ten 
Commandments  of  Health,"  in  "  Country  Life,"  August 
15,  1911;  Coleman,  "The  People's  Health";  Devine, 
"  Misery  and  Its  Causes  " ;  Brewer,  "  Rural  Hygiene  " ; 
Public  Health  Reports  by  U.  S.  Public  Health  Service, 
Washington;  Publications  of  Children's  Bureau,  U.  S. 
Department  of  Labor,  Washington ;  Devine,  "  Social 
Work,"  Chapter  IX. 


CHAPTER  IX 
POVERTY  AND  OPPORTUNITY 

A  modern  artist  has  given  a  striking  illustration  of  the 
subject  before  us.  We  see  two  figures,  Progress  and 
Poverty,  standing  upon  our  globe  and  struggling  for 
supremacy.  Progress  is  a  strong  youth  with  hope  in  his 
eyes,  facing  the  future  and  striving  to  advance.  Poverty 
is  a  poor,  emaciated  creature  with  averted  face  and 
stumbling  steps.  But  the  two  are  bound  together;  and 
thus  Poverty  halts  Progress,  and  Progress  delays  because 
of  Poverty. 

Poverty  is  a  direct  challenge  to  the  community  spirit. 
That  any  number  of  our  fellows  should  live  in  poverty, 
unable  to  secure  the  necessaries  of  life,  living  without  any 
of  the  things  that  make  for  admiration,  hope,  and  love,  is 
a  fact  well  calculated  to  disturb  the  peace  of  any  thought- 
ful soul.  That  a  single  human  soul,  partaker  of  our 
human  nature,  dowered  with  human  capacities,  should 
live  in  poverty  and  die  with  its  powers  undeveloped,  we 
must  pronounce  a  tragedy  whether  it  happens  only  once 
in  a  generation  or  thirty  times  in  a  minute.  The  real 
tragedy  of  poverty,  as  we  shall  see,  is  not  so  much  lack 
of  bread  as  lack  of  opportunity. 

There  are  several  reasons  that  may  be  briefly  stated 
why  this  question  of  poverty  has  become  so  urgent  and 
its  solution  is  so  necessary.  First  of  all  is  what  may  be 
called  the  Christian  conception  of  man.     The  Son  of  man 

139 


140  Building  a  Community 

has  come  teaching  that  God  is  Father  and  man  is  child; 
teaching  that  God  loves  all,  even  the  poor  and  the  weak ; 
that  it  is  not  the  will  of  the  Father  who  is  in  heaven  that 
one  of  his  little  ones  should  perish.  Christianity  affirms 
the  value  of  the  downmost  man  and  declares  that  every 
one  is  entitled  to  a  man's  chance  in  the  world.  The 
second  reason  is  the  growth  of  the  democratic  faith : 
"  We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident,  that  all  men 
are  created  equal ;  that  they  are  endowed  by  their  Creator 
with  certain  inalienable  rights ;  that  among  these  are  life, 
liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness. "  The  sense  of 
equality  is  growing  in  the  minds  of  men,  and  they  are 
beginning  to  believe  that  one  man  has  as  much  right  to 
life  and  happiness  in  this  world  as  another. 

The  third  is  the  glaring  contrasts  in  social  life  that  are 
becoming  patent  to  all.  We  need  not  here  discuss  the 
question  whether  these  contrasts  are  any  greater  today 
than  they  have  been  in  the  past.  The  fact  is  that  men 
see  and  note  these  contrasts.  They  see  and  note  them 
because  of  the  new  conception  of  man  and  the  growth  of 
the  democratic  faith.  And  the  knowledge  of  these  con- 
trasts is  in  part  the  cause  of  the  deep  and  growing  social 
unrest  in  so  many  lands. 

The  last  reason  is  this :  men  are  beginning  to  feel  that 
poverty  is  wholly  unnecessary ;  that  it  is  due  to  social 
causes  and  conditions ;  that  there  is  plenty  and  to  spare 
in  the  Father's  house  for  all  his  children,  and  its  con- 
tinuance in  society  is  a  denial  of  the  Christian  faith. 
For  every  reason  that  can  be  given  why  men  should  be 
interested  in  this  question  of  poverty,  two  reasons  can  be 
given  why  Christian  men  should  devote  themselves  to  its 
solution. 


Poverty  and  Opportunity  141 


THE  NATURE  OF  POVERTY 

What  is  poverty  ?  Poverty  and  pauperism  are  often 
used  more  or  less  interchangeably  by  many  people;  and 
yet  the  difference  between  them  is  marked.  Each  is  a 
relative  term ;  what  is  poverty  to  one  person  may  not 
be  such  to  another.  It  is  important,  therefore,  that 
we  understand  our  terms.  By  poverty  we  mean  an 
economic  and  social  condition  in  which  a  person  does  not 
possess  sufficient  income  to  maintain  health  and  efficiency. 
Those  in  poverty  may  have  some  income  and  may  be  able 
to  find  food  and  lodging;  but  they  do  not  have  sufficient 
income  to  maintain  a  state  of  physical  comfort. 

By  pauperism  we  mean  a  condition  in  which  one  person 
must  depend  upon  others  for  support.  This  condition 
may  be  voluntary  or  involuntary ;  it  may  be  transient  and 
it  may  be  permanent ;  but  the  significant  thing  is  that  the 
pauper  is  dependent  upon  others  for  food  and  shelter. 
The  terms  are  relative  and  the  lines  are  not  fixed;  there 
are  no  definite  classes  in  poverty  and  others  in  pauperism, 
for  people  are  all  the  time  passing  above  or  below  the 
poverty  line;  many  are  passing  from  poverty  to  pauper- 
ism, while  a  few  rise  out  of  pauperism  into  life  and 
comfort.  In  this  discussion  we  are  dealing  with  poverty 
primarily,  and  what  applies  to  poverty  applies  in  large 
part  to  pauperism  as  well.  If  we  can  cure  poverty  we 
can  cure  pauperism. 

It  is  important  that  we  understand  the  true  nature  of 
poverty.  By  poverty  we  mean  that  condition  in  which 
great  bodies  of  people  hive  less  than  enough  food  and 
clothing  and  shelter  for  a  decent  and  wholesome  exis- 
tence.    We  mean  that  condition  in  which  many  must  toil 


142  Building  a  Community 

from  childhood  to  old  age  and  yet  never  possess  a  suffi- 
cient amount  of  the  things  necessary  for  a  worthy  human 
life;  we  mean  that  condition  in  which  many  people  can 
benefit  little  from  the  world's  advance  in  material  com- 
fort and  spiritual  beauty  because  their  bodies  are  under- 
nourished and  their  minds  are  over-taxed ;  we  mean,  in  a 
word,  that  condition  in  which  men  lack  both  the  oppor- 
tunities of  life  and  the  power  to  improve  these  oppor- 
tunities. 

The  most  tragic  thing  about  poverty  is  not  the  hunger 
and  the  cold,  the  lack  of  food  and  the  strain  of  anxiety, 
though  these  are  often  bad  enough.  The  most  tragic 
thing  of  all  is  the  meagerness  of  life  and  the  lack  of 
opportunity ;  the  fact  that  any  life  is  held  back  by  adverse 
conditions  and  cannot  rise  to  life's  full  stature. 

THE  EXTENT  OF  POVERTY 

In  all  times  and  among  all  peoples,  some  poverty  has 
been  found.  Today  it  is  found  in  some  of  its  worst 
forms  in  the  most  advanced  countries.  In  fact,  it  may 
be  said  that  poverty,  so  called,  is  an  accompaniment  of 
civilization ;  and,  paradoxically  enough,  the  more  highly 
civilized  a  people,  the  more  poverty  there  exists.  In  a 
primitive  and  simple  society,  life  is  spent  pretty  close  to 
the  level  of  bare  subsistence.  No  one  bothers  very  much 
beyond  the  day  and  its  work.  But  no  one  falls  very 
much  below  that  level,  and  so  an  approximate  equality  is 
maintained.  It  is  not  possible  here  to  discuss  the  ques- 
tion whether  poverty  is  increasing  or  decreasing  in  what 
we  call  our  modern  civilized  society.  The  fact  that  it 
exists  to  any  considerable  extent  is  the  real  problem. 


Poverty  and  Opportunity  143 


It  is  only  in  very  recent  years  that  men  have  begun  to 
study  these  questions  and  to  measure  the  extent  of 
poverty.  Figures  are  not  available  showing  its  exact 
amount;  but  investigations  show  that  much  of  it  exists. 
In  England  it  is  found  everywhere,  but  especially  in  the 
cities.  Some  years  ago  General  Booth,  of  the  Salvation 
Army,  estimated  that  fully  one-tenth  of  the  people  of  the 
cities  constituted  a  "  submerged  tenth."  Above  this  was 
another  class  representing  fully  thirty  per  cent  of  the 
people  who  were  living  near  the  border-line  of  poverty. 
("  Darkest  England,"  pp.  22,  23.)  Charles  Booth  found 
in  the  city  of  London  that  at  least  1,300,000,  or  30  per 
cent,  were  unable  to  obtain  the  necessaries  of  a  sound 
livelihood.  In  the  city  of  York,  Mr.  B.  S.  Rountree 
found  that  27.84  per  cent  were  in  a  condition  of  poverty. 
And  this  careful  investigator  concludes :  "  We  are  faced 
by  the  startling  probability  that  from  25  to  30  per  cent 
of  the  town  population  of  the  United  Kingdom  are  living 
in  poverty."  (Rountree,  "A  Study  of  Town  Life.") 

The  figures  are  not  available  for  America  as  a  whole 
or  even  for  a  single  state.  One-fourth  of  the  people  in 
our  cities,  according  to  Professor  F.  H.  Giddings,  never 
have  enough  to  eat.  They  live  meager  lives,  exposed  to 
disease,  without  a  fair  chance  in  the  world,  shut  away 
from  the  things  that  make  life  most  worth  while.  Some 
years  ago  Jacob  A.  Riis  showed  that  about  one-third  of 
the  people  of  New  York  City  were  dependent  upon 
charity  at  some  time  during  the  eight  years  previous  to 
1890.  ("How  the  Other  Half  Lives,"  p.  243.)  That 
there  is  a  vast  amount  of  poverty  in  New  York  City  is 
shown  in  the  fact  that  fully  one-tenth  of  the  burials 
from  year  to  year  are  in  Potter's  Field.     In  other  cities 


144  Building  a  Community 

investigations  have  been  made  from  time  to  time,  and 
while  the  proportions  are  not  so  high,  there  is  yet  found 
a  large  amount  of  need.  Robert  Hunter  estimates  that 
fully  ten  million  people  in  the  United  States  are  living 
in  poverty,  below  the  line  of  comfort.  Be  these  figures 
exact  or  not,  there  is  much  poverty  in  America,  the  land 
of  plenty.  And  each  case  of  poverty  represents  the 
tragedy  of  a  life  and  sometimes  of  several  lives.  The 
hunger  and  suffering  are  sad  enough,  but  this  is  only  a 
small  part  of  the  real  problem. 

THE  CAUSES  OF  POVERTY 

In  this  book  we  are  not  attempting  to  discuss  any  of 
the  questions  in  detail,  but  are  simply  indicating  a  line  of 
direction  and  outlining  a  working  program.  It  is  not 
possible,  therefore,  to  note  all  the  causes  of  poverty  or 
to  consider  any  of  these  with  fullness.  It  may  be  said, 
however,  with  confidence,  that  poverty  has  causes,  and 
they  are  human  and  social  causes.  It  may  further  be 
said  that  since  these  causes  are  human  and  knowable, 
they  can  therefore  be  controlled  by  men. 

These  causes  are  many  and  complex.  Now  and  again 
we  meet  some  one  who  tells  us  that  poverty  is  inevitable 
in  our  world ;  that  it  is  due  to  some  mysterious  dispensa- 
tion of  Providence,  and  so  its  causes  and  cure  lie  beyond 
our  control.  And  now  and  then  we  meet  some  one  who 
tells  us  that  the  causes  are  few  and  simple.  Thus 
Malthus  attributed  all  human  poverty  and  misery  to  the 
fact  that  population  tends  to  increase  more  rapidly  than 
the  food  supply.  Karl  Marx  found  the  cause  of  poverty 
in  exploitation;  the  capitalist  by  his  control  of  industry 


Poverty  and  Opportunity  145 

appropriates  an  unjust  share  of  the  product  of  labor, 
leaving  the  laborer  himself  barely  enough  to  maintain 
existence  and  reproduce.  Henry  George  charged  up  all 
poverty  to  one  cause :  the  landlord's  appropriation  of  all 
increment  of  land  values. 

Others  find  various  causes  that  are  more  personal. 
Thus  one  says  that  poverty  is  due  wholly  to  intemperance. 
Poverty  is  due  wholly  to  the  person  himself,  says  another ; 
if  people  are  poor  it  is  because  they  choose  to  be.  And 
so  the  story  runs  with  variations  through  all  the  gamut. 

There  is  no  doubt  some  truth  in  each  one  of  these  gen- 
eralizations, and  the  soul  of  trust  may  be  found  in  things 
erroneous.  But  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  causes  are  many 
and  various,  and  it  is  seldom  that  a  single  case  of  poverty 
can  be  traced  back  to  a  single  cause.  Without  attempt- 
ing any  minute  analysis  or  discussing  any  cause  in  detail, 
we  may  note  some  of  the  definite  and  ascertained  causes 
of  poverty.  In  a  large  sense  it  may  be  said  that  these 
reduce  themselves  to  two  classes,  those  that  are  subjective 
and  due  largely  to  personal  defects  and  individual  faults ; 
and  those  that  are  objective,  due  primarily  to  social  mal- 
adjustment and  economic  conditions.  For  our  purpose 
here  it  is  not  necessary  to  consider  how  far  these  two 
classes  of  causes  act  and  react ;  but  in  any  full  discussion 
of  the  subject  this  reaction  must  be  taken  into  account. 
That  is,  an  objective  cause  may  induce  a  subjective  weak- 
ness ;  and  personal  faults  may  affect  economic  conditions. 

1.  The  Subjective  Causes 

It  is  admitted  by  every  social  worker  that  much  poverty 
and  pauperism  are  due  to  such  things  as  physical  and 
mental  defects,  to  sickness  and  vice.     Some  persons  are 

K 


146  Building  a  Community 

defective  physically  and  mentally  at  some  point  that  dis- 
qualifies them  for  economic  efficiency.  In  other  chap- 
ters we  have  seen  that  industrial  accidents  hurt  and  maim 
many,  while  a  considerable  proportion  of  people  fall 
behind  through  sickness. 

The  income-earner  may  be  sick  for  a  long  time,  and 
the  family  falls  behind  and  possibly  goes  underfoot.  It 
has  become  apparent  further  that  a  large  proportion  of 
people  are  unskilled  workers,  and  hence  their  employment 
is  casual  and  uncertain.  The  processes  of  modern  in- 
dustry more  and  more  demand  skilled  workers;  and  in 
the  period  of  readjustment  much  unemployment  is  found. 

Every  social  worker  and  every  public  official  knows 
that  intemperance  causes  a  large  part  of  the  poverty  and 
practically  all  pauperism.  We  must  not  lose  sight  of  the 
fact  that  some  persons  are  lazy  and  shiftless  and  either 
will  not  work  at  all  or  will  not  exert  themselves.  But 
laziness  and  shitflessness  are  themselves  effects  quite  as 
much  as  causes  and  are  due  to  physical  defects,  to  defec- 
tive nutrition,  to  faulty  training,  quite  as  often  as  to  per- 
sonal choice  and  deliberate  purpose.  Other  causes  more 
or  less  personal  and  subjective  may  be  mentioned,  such 
as  old  age,  the  death  of  the  wage-earner,  neglect  and  de- 
sertion by  relatives,  the  vices  of  others,  which  carry  the 
family  from  its  footing.  Much  real  poverty,  especially 
among  women  and  children,  is  due  to  the  vice  of  the 
husband  and  father  who  has  taken  to  drink  or  has 
deserted  his  family. 

2.  The  Objective  Causes 

That  much  poverty  is  due  to  objective  causes  is  ad- 
mitted  by   every   careful    student   of   social   conditions. 


Poverty  and  Opportunity  147 


Thus  Amos  R.  Warner,  than  whom  there  is  no  more  re- 
liable authority,  declares  that  74.5  per  cent  of  poverty 
is  due  to  causes  over  which  the  poor  themselves  have  no 
direct  control,  as  unemployment,  sickness,  physical  de- 
fects, and  old  age.  ("  American  Charities,"  p.  36.) 
Some  poverty  is  due  to  exceptional  conditions  over  which 
the  individual  has  little  or  no  control.  Thus  a  calamity, 
a  flood,  a  drought,  a  plague  of  grasshoppers,  may  bring 
temporary  poverty  to  hundreds  and  thousands  of  people. 
In  India  much  poverty  is  due  to  over-crowding,  a  poor 
soil,  a  defective  system  of  agriculture,  and  heavy  taxes. 

The  experience  of  every  charity  worker  shows  that 
unsanitary  housing  conditions  cause  much  sickness  and 
disease  that  are  both  direct  and  indirect  causes  of  much 
poverty.  Owing  to  limited  income  the  family  must  live 
in  overcrowded  rooms,  and  thus  an  effect  becomes  a  new 
cause.  Gosely  akin  to  this  is  the  quickened  pace  of 
modern  industry  which  wears  out  workers  and  causes 
premature  old  age. 

In  all  lands,  especially  in  the  cities,  much  poverty  is 
due  to  lack  of  employment.  Thus  Charles  Booth  found 
that  in  the  city  of  London  55  per  cent  of  the  very  poor, 
and  68  per  cent  of  the  other  poor,  were  in  this  condition 
through  no  fault  of  their  own  but  through  lack  of  em- 
ployment. 

Again,  industrial  accidents  causing  the  death  or  injury 
of  the  wage-earner  bring  poverty  into  many  homes.  The 
world  war  has  brought  poverty  to  millions  of  families  in 
Europe,  and  it  may  be  generations  before  the  shadows 
are  lifted  from  the  nations.  Beyond  question  monopoly 
and  exploitation  are  among  the  chief  causes  and  condi- 
tions of  poverty.     Monopoly  of  the  land  has  driven  peo- 


148  Building  a  Community 

pie  from  the  soil,  reduced  them  to  rent-payers,  made  them 
dependent  upon  others  for  work  and  income  and  closed 
many  doors  of  opportunity.  Monopoly  of  trade  and 
resources  has  increased  the  cost  of  living,  crowded  the 
family  into  unsanitary  quarters,  lowered  the  standard  of 
life,  and  caused  much  hardship  and  distress. 

In  modern  society  by  monopoly-control  of  the  means 
of  production  and  distribution  it  is  possible  for  a  few 
men  to  take  a  toll  on  every  bushel  of  wheat  and  every 
pound  of  flour ;  thus  they  make  the  child's  loaf  small  and 
the  family-room  overcrowded.  In  a  word,  poverty  is 
due  in  large  part  to  social  maladjustment,  to  defective 
adjustment  between  the  person  and  society,  and  to  defects 
in  the  social  order. 

THE  REMEDIES  FOR  POVERTY 

The  causes  of  poverty,  we  have  seen,  are  many  and 
complex;  for  this  reason  there  is  no  single  and  simple 
remedy.  There  are  several  things,  however,  that  must 
be  taken  into  account  in  any  solution  of  the  problem. 
Let  it  be  understood  that  there  is  no  patented  panacea 
that  is  guaranteed  to  cure  this  evil  overnight.  The  solu- 
tion of  this  problem,  implying  the  abolition  and  pre- 
vention of  poverty,  will  demand  hard  study  and  brave 
thinking  on  the  part  of  the  people,  and  it  will  necessitate 
united  and  persistent  action  on  the  part  of  all.  But  let  it 
be  emphasized  also  that  the  solution  of  this  problem  with 
all  that  it  involves,  is  not  a  hopeless  undertaking.  The 
leading  religious  bodies  in  America  have  affirmed,  as  a 
part  of  their  working  faith,  "  the  abolition  and  prevention 
of  poverty." 


Poverty  and  Opportunity  149 

1.  A  Belief  in  Its  Cure 

The  first  thing  is  the  acceptance  of  the  fact  that  poverty 
is  needless  and  can  be  cured.  Poverty  is  not  here  as  the 
will  of  God ;  and  every  man  who  prays,  "  Our  Father, 
who  art  in  heaven :  Give  us  day  by  day  our  daily  bread," 
must  not  only  deny  its  right  to  be  here,  but  must  labor  for 
its  abolition.  Poverty  is  not  inevitable;  it  is  not  a  part 
of  the  nature  of  things ;  we  repudiate  all  doctrines  of  in- 
dustrial fatalism  and  social  necessity  and  challenge  the 
teachers  of  those  doctrines.  We  say  rather  that  poverty 
is  an  incident  in  industrial  evolution  and  not  an  essential 
of  economic  structure;  that  its  presence  implies  mal- 
adjustment, not  normal  working;  that  its  control  may  be 
effected  by  wise  social  policy,  and  that  its  ultimate  dis- 
appearance is  a  fair  inference  from  the  fact  of  eco- 
nomic experience.  (Hollander,  "The  Abolition  of 
Poverty,"  p.  17.) 

Professor  Alfred  Marshall  reminds  us  that  just  as  we 
have  outgrown  the  conviction  that  slavery,  which  the 
classical  world  regarded  as  an  ordinance  of  nature,  is 
necessary  and  permanent,  so  we  must  outgrow  the  be- 
lief, now  so  prevalent,  that  there  needs  to  be  any  number 
of  people  foreordained  from  their  birth  to  grinding  toil 
and  unrewarded  even  by  the  necessities  of  a  bare  exis- 
tence. (Marshall,  "  Principles  of  Economics,"  Vol.  I, 
p.  3.) 

2.  A  Study  of  Factors  and  Causes 

The  next  thing  is  a  careful  study  of  all  the  factors  and 
causes  that  enter  into  the  problem.  During  recent  years 
much  attention  has  been  given  to  this  subject,  and  the 


150  Building  a  Community 


chief  causes  of  poverty  are  quite  well  known  to  the  soci- 
ologist. But  this  knowledge  has  not  yet  become  the  com- 
mon possession  of  the  people. 

For  the  present,  therefore,  an  important  item  of  our 
program  consists  in  the  socialization  of  this  knowledge 
that  it  may  inform  men's  minds,  create  the  social  con- 
science, teach  social  action  and  thereby  make  possible  a 
social  program.  So  far  as  poverty  has  personal  and  sub- 
jective causes,  something  may  be  done  to  lessen  it,  if  not 
to  cure  it,  by  education  and  training.  But  poverty  is  also 
a  social  evil,  and  as  such  it  has  social  causes  and  must 
be  cured  by  social  action.  And  right  social  action,  it  may 
be  said,  is  the  result  of  full  social  knowledge,  and  this 
implies  both  a  knowledge  of  the  thing  to  be  done  and  a 
readiness  to  work  together  in  doing  it. 

3.  A  Use  of  Constructive  Measures 

There  are  many  things  that  can  be  done  at  once. 
Something  can  be  done  to  relieve  the  pressure  and  pre- 
vent waste  by  inculcating  habits  of  thrift,  by  teaching 
people  how  to  buy  and  cook  foods,  and  by  providing 
government  savings  banks.  Much  can  be  done  by  giving 
every  child  such  a  training  as  shall  make  it  a  skilled 
worker  and  prepare  it  for  efficient  living.  Much  can  be 
done  to  cure  and  prevent  poverty  both  today  and  to- 
morrow by  eliminating  the  liquor  traffic. 

Further,  by  destroying  unfit  tenements  and  securing 
proper  housing  conditions  the  physical  and  moral  effi- 
ciency of  many  persons  can  be  developed  and  maintained 
and  the  amount  of  sickness  can  be  greatly  lessened.  By 
a  system  of  state  employment  agencies  the  evil  of  unem- 
ployment can  be  greatly  reduced  and  much  poverty  may 


Poverty  and  Opportunity  151 

be  averted.  By  a  system  of  state  insurance  the  family 
of  the  wage-worker  can  be  cared  for  during  his  disability 
or  after  his  death. 

4.  A  Control  of  Conditions 

Beyond  all  this  something  must  be  done  to  destroy 
monopoly  and  prevent  exploitation,  to  hold  for  the  peo- 
ple the  heritage  of  the  past  and  to  secure  for  society  the 
values  created  by  society.  Much  can  be  done  by  provid- 
ing that  the  earth  and  its  resources — which  are  the  heri- 
tage of  the  people — shall  be  held  in  trust  for  them,  so 
that  every  member  of  society  having  by  the  fact  of  his 
existence  in  the  world  an  equity  in  the  common  inheri- 
tance, shall  receive  the  equivalent  of  that  equity  in  the 
form  of  advantages  and  education  for  himself  and  his 
family.  By  a  more  equitable  system  of  taxation  some- 
thing can  be  done  to  lessen  speculation  in  land,  to  pre- 
vent the  growth  of  enormous  fortunes,  to  equalize  oppor- 
tunity and  relieve  the  pressure  upon  men.  By  a  system 
of  profit-sharing  and  industrial  partnership,  workers  may 
receive  a  larger  share  of  income  and  the  stability  of  the 
home  may  be  secured.  Beyond  all  and  before  all  there 
must  be  a  control  of  "  physical  heredity,  because  many 
of  the  principal  defects  that  give  rise  to  dependence  are 
inherent  in  heredity."  Society  must  therefore  deal  with 
all  of  the  causes  and  conditions  that  enter  into  the  birth 
of  defectives  and  the  increase  of  the  mal-endowed. 

5.  A  Work  of  Education 

All  this,  as  we  can  see,  means  work  for  the  home,  the 
church,  the  state,  the  school.  We  must  teach  the  young ; 
we  must  awaken  aspirations;  we  must  give  men  higher 


152  Building  a  Community 

ideals;  we  must  teach  them  to  work  together  for  the 
common  good ;  we  must  create  in  them  the  sacrificial  atti- 
tude of  mind;  we  must  encourage  them  to  build  their 
faith  into  a  Christian  economic  order  and  to  correct  every 
maladjustment  in  society. 

We  must  do  the  first  thing,  relieve  present  distress  and 
help  those  who  need  help.  But  we  have  not  truly  helped 
people  till  we  have  made  it  possible  for  them  to  help 
themselves.  We  must  go  back  to  fundamental  causes 
and  conditions  and  must  know  the  nature  of  social  mal- 
adjustment. We  must  do  a  great  many  temporary 
things ;  but  we  must  refuse  to  be  put  off  with  temporary 
expedients  and  half-way  measures ;  and  so  we  must  find 
and  remove  every  social  maladjustment  and  must  dare 
to  demand  full  social  justice.  We  must  remove  every 
handicap  that  is  upon  the  poor  and  weak,  and  must 
use  the  resources  of  society  both  in  making  them  strong 
and  guaranteeing  them  a  fair  equity  in  the  common 
heritage. 

To  potter  over  results  when  we  can  reach  causes  is 
solemn  trifling.  To  hesitate  to  apply  the  real  remedy 
lest  it  should  hurt,  is  to  prove  oneself  a  faithless  physician 
who  heals  the  hurt  of  the  daughter  of  my  people  but 
slightly. 

FOR  CLASS  USE 

1.  Why  is  it  that  the  question  of  poverty  has  assumed 
such  importance  in  our  day? 

2.  What  is  the  most  tragic  thing  about  poverty  ? 

3.  Indicate  the  extent  of  poverty  in  this  country. 

4.  Discuss  some  of  the  subjective  causes  of  poverty. 

5.  Discuss  some  of  the  objective  causes  of  poverty. 


Poverty  and  Opportunity  153 

6.  What  are  some  of  the  elements  in  the  remedy  for 
poverty  ? 

7.  What  is  your  own  best  suggestion  for  the  cure  of 
poverty  in  your  community? 

8.  References :  Ellwood,  "  Sociology  and  Modern 
Social  Problems,"  Chapter  XII ;  Penman,  "  Poverty  the 
Challenge  to  the  Church  " ;  Hunter,  "  Poverty  " ;  Hol- 
lander, "The  Abolition  of  Poverty";  Vedder,  "The 
Gospel  of  Jesus  and  the  Problems  of  Democracy " ; 
Wright,  "  Practical  Sociology,"  Chapter  XVIII ;  Devine, 
"Misery,"  Chapter  III;  Ward,  "Social  Creed  of  the 
Churches." 


CHAPTER  X 
COMMUNITY  IDEALS 

"  The  foundation  of  every  state/'  said  Seeley,  "  is  a 
way  of  thinking."  They  who  believe  in  the  Kingdom 
of  God  expect  a  Christian  social  order.  But  the  disciples 
who  are  instructed  unto  the  Kingdom  of  God  cherish  no 
illusions  with  reference  to  the  Kingdom.  They  realize 
that  the  Christian  community  must  be  a  growth  and  not 
a  manufacture.  It  must  have  its  foundations  laid  deep 
in  the  hearts  and  wills  of  men.  And  it  must  grow  up  in 
and  through  the  lives  and  labors  of  its  citizens. 

The  City  of  God  is  a  social,  moral,  spiritual  community. 
It  has  to  do  with  life  in  its  relations  and  activities.  It 
expresses  itself  in  the  thoughts,  motives,  and  wills  of 
men.  It  is  a  quality  of  life,  a  way  of  living,  an  undying 
aspiration.  The  City  of  God  is  not  something  that  drops 
down  out  of  the  skies  upon  men ;  but  it  grows  up  within 
their  purposes,  impulses,  and  decisions.  It  comes  as  fast 
and  as  far  as  men  want  it  to  come.  It  finds  its  stability 
and  permanence  in  the  moral  will  and  firm  set  character 
of  its  citizens.  In  the  City  of  God  we  expect  men  to  love 
the  good,  to  seek  the  better,  to  choose  the  best.  But  we 
cherish  no  delusions  on  this  point.  The  disciple  who  is 
instructed  unto  the  Kingdom  of  God  knows  well  that  men 
cannot  be  compelled  to  do  this  either  by  miraculous  signs 
or  governmental  decrees.  He  therefore  expects  men  to 
do  right,  to  act  justly,  to  be  brotherly  out  of  their  own 
154 


Community  Ideals  155 

impulses,  desires,  and  volitions.  It  takes  just  and  brotherly 
people  to  make  a  City  of  God. 

The  defect  in  many  of  our  plans  for  community  bet- 
terment is  revealed  at  this  point.  These  plans  are  too 
mechanical,  too  formal ;  they  deal  too  exclusively  with 
external  factors ;  they  do  not  recognize  the  human,  vital, 
and  spiritual  factors  that  are  so  potent  in  life.  They 
assume  that  the  City  of  God  can  be  built  by  divine  decrees 
and  social  agencies.  The  City  of  God,  which  is  a  moral 
community,  can  be  built  only  through  a  moral  process. 
The  city  comes  from  God  but  it  comes  among  men.  Its 
citizens  are  people  who  eat  food,  wear  clothes,  who  culti- 
vate the  ground  and  build  houses.  They  have  human 
hearts  and  wills;  they  love  one  another  and  seek  one 
another's  good.  The  foundations  of  the  city  must  be  laid 
in  the  purposes  and  wills  of  men.  The  city  is  the  people, 
not  its  houses  and  streets,  and  it  becomes  a  divine  city  as 
fast  as  we  have  divine  people  in  it. 

COMMUNITY  ATMOSPHERE 

There  are  many  aspects  of  this  subject  which  should 
be  taken  into  account  in  any  comprehensive  study  of  the 
community.  This  suggests  the  work  of  the  church, 
which  is  here  to  witness  for  God's  Fatherhood,  to  inter- 
pret his  will,  to  be  the  medium  of  his  redeeming  grace 
to  men,  to  bring  men  into  the  fellowship  of  the  Divine 
Spirit.  This  work  was  considered  in  the  chapter  on 
"  The  Church."  This  recognizes  fully  the  place  of  edu- 
cation in  the  community  program  and  suggests  the  real 
meaning  and  task  of  education.  Certain  aspects  of  this 
item  were  considered  in  the  chapter  on  "  The  Schools." 


156  Building  a  Community 


This  recognizes  also  the  need  of  changing  living  con- 
ditions both  in  the  home  and  in  the  community,  and  of 
providing  every  child  with  a  helpful  environment.  Some 
of  the  things  implied  in  this  have  been  noted  in  the  vari- 
ous other  chapters. 

In  this  closing  chapter  we  are  called  to  note  briefly 
one  of  the  most  essential  items  in  our  program  and  yet 
one  of  the  most  neglected.  The  term  environment  as 
generally  used  signifies  primarily  the  material  and  social 
elements  that  surround  man  and  influence  life.  But  we 
know  that  there  are  other  elements  than  these  which  are 
far  more  potent  in  their  influence  upon  his  moral  and 
spiritual  being.  The  term  atmosphere  suggests  the  more 
subtle  and  psychic  elements  in  the  community,  and  which, 
while  less  tangible,  are  very  real  and  potent. 

According  to  the  sociologist  what  we  call  the  mores  are 
the  immediate  determiners  of  the  conduct  of  masses  of 
men.  This  word  mores  is  from  the  Greek  word  which 
is  hard  to  translate  literally.  In  every  group  there  are 
certain  folkways  and  customs  which  may  be  called  the 
ways  and  habits  of  the  community.  These  folkways  give 
rise  in  time  to  certain  conceptions  and  doctrines  which 
serve  as  standards  for  the  group ;  and  these  are  the  mores. 
(Sumner,  "Folkways,"  Chapter  I  and  passim.) 

These  mores,  as  Professor  Ellwood  shows,  are  the 
social  and  moral  standards  of  the  group.  They  are  the 
product  of  past  experience  and  represent  the  courses  of 
conduct  which  have  been  sanctioned  as  necessary  for  the 
common  welfare.  They  are  the  social  atmosphere  in 
which  men  live  and  move  and  have  their  being.  They 
represent  the  sentiments  and  customs  that  have  been  ap- 
proved.    They  constitute  the  standards  of  thought  and 


Community  Ideals  157 

conduct.  They  are  the  molds  in  which  the  life  of  a 
people  is  shaped.  Professor  Sumner  goes  so  far  as  to 
say  that  they  are  the  most  potent  influences  in  life.  It  is 
certain  that  they  do  much  to  determine  the  conduct  of 
masses  of  men. 

"  If  we  want  a  Christian  world,"  says  Professor  Ell- 
wood,  "  we  must  have  in  their  place  Christian  mores, 
Christian  institutions,  a  Christian  civilization,  a  Christian 
environment  in  brief,  in  which  the  Christian  life  will  come 
as  easily  and  naturally  to  individuals  as  national  loyalty 
and  patriotism  now  do."  (Ellwood,  in  "Religious  Edu- 
cation," April,  1920.)  This  is  perhaps  an  overstatement, 
for  there  are  spiritual  influences  over  and  above  these 
human  factors.  But  it  is  essential  that  this  element  be 
given  due  place  in  community  life.  Two  elements  and 
aspects  of  the  social  atmosphere  may  be  noted,  com- 
munity settlements  and  community  customs. 

COMMUNITY  SENTIMENTS 

This  word  sentiment  is  a  somewhat  elastic  word,  and 
covers  a  number  of  elements,  as  the  feelings,  the  impulses, 
the  ideas  that  are  current.  Social  sentiment  is  a  kind  of 
social  atmosphere ;  and,  like  the  atmosphere,  we  may  live 
in  it  and  yet  be  hardly  conscious  of  its  presence.  There 
are  certain  feelings  that  are  current  in  a  community,  a 
tone  of  thought,  a  temper  of  mind,  and  these  give  color 
and  direction  to  the  opinions  and  thoughts  of  men.  "  All 
religious,  all  moral  agencies,  expend  themselves  upon,  and 
are  treasured  in,  social  sentiment.  This  is  the  pervasive 
protoplasm  of  general  and  of  individual  life.  Into  this 
the  truth  of  all  beliefs,  the  virtue  of  all  faiths,  the  piety 


158  Building  a  Community 

of  all  churches,  must  pass.  From  this  come  the  construc- 
tive and  beneficent  forces  of  the  state,  and  largely  the  im- 
pulses which  govern  each  individual  within  the  state." 
(Bascom,  "The  Words  of  Christ,"  p.  198.)  This  social 
sentiment  may  be  called  "  the  vital  atmosphere  which 
sustains  the  daily  respiration  of  the  daily  life,"  and  hence 
it  is  one  of  the  most  important  factors  in  the  moral  and 
spiritual  life  of  man. 

This  factor  has  played  a  leading  role  in  the  making  of 
man  and  the  development  of  the  race.  "  All  thought 
begins  in  feeling,"  Lowell  reminds  us.  "  Let  me  make 
the  songs  of  a  nation,"  says  another,  "  and  I  care  not  who 
makes  its  laws."  "  The  thoughts  men  have  are  the  par- 
ents of  the  things  men  do,"  says  Carlyle,  "  their  feelings 
are  the  parents  of  their  thoughts."  "  The  best  society 
differs  from  the  worst  in  its  practices,  its  institutions,  its 
laws,  but  more  deeply  and  radically  in  its  sentiments." 
(Gladden,  "  Tools  and  the  Man,"  p.  6.)  The  sentiments 
of  a  people  or  a  social  group  decide  the  attitude  of  most 
persons  toward  certain  deeds  and  practices  and  determine 
the  energy  with  which  most  people  abhor  certain  social 
offenses  and  crimes.  The  sentiments  are  a  kind  of  social 
pressure  pushing  men  away  from  certain  practices  and 
forcing  such  practices  out  of  the  community.  The  social 
sentiments  determine  the  social  forms  and  customs,  and 
these  are  among  the  most  potent  factors  in  restraining  or 
impelling  men.  Out  of  these  sentiments  come  many 
voices  that  speak  their  suggestions  to  the  soul  and  utter 
their  bewitching  appeal  to  the  will. 

In  the  case  of  a  child  a  hundred  things  are  determined 
by  the  sentiments  and  customs  that  surround  the  life  and 
appeal  to  the  soul.     This  great  factor  that  we  call  atmos- 


Community  Ideals  159 


phere  is  the  most  important  factor  in  the  early  life,  and, 
while  a  score  of  things  may  be  determined  by  parentage, 
a  hundred  things  are  determined  by  atmosphere. 
Already  we  are  learning  that  nurture  by  atmosphere  is 
one  of  the  determining  elements  in  the  education  of  the 
child.     (Du  Bois,  "  The  Natural  Way,"  Chapter  III.) 

By  the  time  many  a  person  reaches  adolescence  he  is 
encased  in  an  armor  of  sentiment  and  custom  that  effectu- 
ally turns  aside  all  the  arrows  of  the  world.  He  has 
forged  around  himself,  in  the  furnace  of  sentiment  and 
custom,  an  armor  that  effectually  breaks  the  evil  sugges- 
tions and  enticements  of  the  world. 

COMMUNITY  CUSTOMS 

This  social  atmosphere  is  composed  of  other  elements 
such  as  customs  and  fashions,  and  these  are  equally 
potent  in  life.  The  inner  life  of  a  community  reveals 
itself  in  certain  indefinite  and  intangible  things  that  we 
call  feelings  and  sentiments;  these  feelings  and  senti- 
ments crystallize  and  fix  themselves  in  certain  more  or 
less  definite  and  fixed  customs  and  forms;  and  these 
forms  and  customs  determine  and  decide  a  hundred 
things  in  every  man's  life ;  in  fact  they  practically  shape 
the  mental,  moral,  social,  and  spiritual  life  of  man. 

In  the  life  of  man  there  is  a  most  significant  factor 
called  habit,  and  this  we  are  told  is  "  ten  times  nature." 
The  psychologist  declares  that  ninety-nine  hundredths,  or 
possibly  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  thousandths,  of 
our  activity  is  purely  automatic  and  habitual  from  our 
rising  in  the  morning  to  our  lying  down  at  night.  (James, 
"  Talks  to  Teachers,"  Chapter  VIII ;  also  "  Psychology," 


160  Building  a  Community 

Volume  I,  Chapter  IV.)  Now  what  habit  is  to  the  indi- 
vidual, custom  is  to  society.  "  It  is  the  prerogative  of 
custom  to  organize  personal  life  in  many  lines,  to  fix  the 
bodily  habits,  language,  costume,  sports,  pleasures,  aims 
and  expressions,  as  well  as  the  attitude  toward  others." 
(Ross,  "  Social  Control,"  p.  183.) 

As  habit  in  the  individual  life  conserves  and  organizes 
the  efforts  and  thoughts  of  the  past,  so  custom  in  society 
funds  and  organizes  the  opinions  and  deeds  of  the  people. 
As  habit  in  the  individual  life  conserves  and  unifies  the 
purposes  and  achievements  of  the  past  and  makes  them 
effective  in  the  present  need,  so  custom  in  society  funds 
and  organizes  the  sentiments  and  thoughts  of  the  people 
and  makes  them  effective  in  present  control.  As  virtue 
is  not  safe  till  it  becomes  habitual  and  the  will  is  not 
strong  till  it  is  fully  fashioned,  so  sentiment  is  not  per- 
manent till  it  is  conserved  in  custom,  and  right  conviction 
is  not  effective  till  it  is  funded  in  just  laws.  Custom  like 
habit  is  ten  times  life ;  custom  determines  ninety-five  per 
cent  of  men's  thoughts  and  actions. 

Men  are  all  conformists  by  nature,  and  it  is  perhaps 
well  that  they  are  such.  It  is  true  that  custom  is  often 
tyrannical  in  its  sway  and  cramping  in  its  influence ;  it  is 
true  also  that  it  is  the  stoutest  foe  of  progress  and  the 
hardest  obstacle  to  the  reformer.  It  is  true  further  that 
it  may  be  foolish  in  its  demands  and  blighting  in  its 
rule ;  it  is  true  that  it  sometimes  binds  men  in  the  most 
abject  slavery  and  thwarts  the  efforts  of  the  world's  best 
teachers. 

But  this  is  only  half  the  story,  for  custom  is  no  less 
potent  and  helpful  in  its  positive  and  creative  aspects.  In 
the  course  of  time  the  better  sentiments  and  the  purest 


Community  Ideals  161 

opinions  become  crystallized  in  forms  and  customs  that 
are  the  strongest  allies  and  reinforcements  of  the  best 
influences  of  life  and  society.  In  the  better  customs  of 
any  society  there  is  a  fund  of  social  suggestions  that  is 
promotive  of  all  the  virtues  and  graces. 

It  is  probable  that  the  psychologist  is  right  in  his  con- 
tention that  there  can  be  no  action  without  motive;  and 
it  is  probable  that  the  psychologist  is  also  right  when  he 
asserts  that  social  suggestion  is  the  determining  factor  in 
nearly  all  of  our  motives.  Social  suggestion  is  one  of  the 
most  subtle  forces  in  bending  down  the  individual  will 
and  in  creating  the  individual  choice.  "  Everything  we 
do  reveals  the  pull  on  conduct  exerted  by  social  sugges- 
tion. Our  foods  and  drinks,  our  dress  and  furniture, 
our  amusements,  our  religious  emotions,  our  investments, 
and  even  our  matrimonial  choices,  confess  the  sway  of 
fashion  and  vogue."  (Ross,  ibid.,  p.  148.) 

Because  of  this  power  of  social  suggestion  the  life  of 
the  community,  like  the  very  atmosphere  itself,  presses 
heavily  upon  man  and  he  acquiesces  without  any  sense 
of  constraint.  And  so  it  comes  about  that  custom  be- 
comes a  kind  of  informal  and  unofficial  government 
under  whose  benign  or  baleful  influence  the  individual 
lives  and  wills.  The  customs  of  society  are  like  great 
highways  across  the  country  which  facilitate  travel,  to  be 
sure,  but  which  also  determine  the  location  and  prosperity 
of  the  village  and  cities. 

The  color  and  tone  of  the  atmosphere  color  the  thoughts 
and  give  tone  to  the  life  of  every  human  being.  Every 
item  and  element  in  the  atmosphere  affects  and  influences 
man  in  some  way  and  at  some  level.  The  place  in  which 
we  work,  our  companions,  the  air  we  breathe,  the  wind 


162  Building  a  Community 

that  blows,  the  smiles  or  frowns  on  the  faces  we  meet, 
the  ideas  that  are  current,  the  ideals  that  prevail,  the 
customs  and  fashions,  all  infect  our  spirit  and  affect  our 
attitude;  they  determine  our  standards  and  ideals,  our 
likes  and  dislikes,  our  motives  and  our  choices.  "  The 
atmosphere  of  the  home  into  which  the  infant  comes,  the 
psychological  climate  of  the  first  years,  the  habits,  tradi- 
tions, manners,  contagious  ideas  of  the  family  group — 
all  these  things  begin  to  form  the  conscience  which  shall 
always  bear  its  nurture  marks."  (Jones,  "  Social  Law  in 
the  Spiritual  World,"  p.  123.)  For  a  discussion  of  this 
question  from  a  somewhat  different  angle,  the  author 
may  refer  to  another  volume,  "  The  Social  Task  of  Chris- 
tianity," pp.  166-172. 

MORALIZING  COMMUNITY  LIFE 

In  view  of  all  this  the  question  of  moralizing  the  social 
atmosphere  is  one  of  the  most  important  items  in  our  pro- 
gram. A  large  part  of  our  work  for  man,  perhaps  the 
largest  and  most  potent  part,  consists  in  creating  such  an 
atmosphere  as  shall  induce  the  right  kind  of  life. 

Would  we  have  men  and  women  spontaneously  and 
habitually  think  good  thoughts,  cherish  the  right  ideals, 
and  choose  the  right  ways  ?  Then  we  must  have  the  boys 
and  girls  grow  up  in  an  atmosphere  that  is  pure  and  good. 
Would  we  have  men  and  women  accept  the  Christian  life 
as  a  matter  of  course  and  find  in  the  Kingdom  their 
normal  home?  Then  we  must  surround  them  with  a 
Christian  atmosphere  from  the  very  cradle  and  must  have 
them  breathe  in  the  very  air  of  the  Kingdom. 

Thus  far  society  has  given  very  little  attention  to  this 


Community  Ideals  163 

important  part  of  our  work ;  thus  far  we  have  not  been 
careful  to  eliminate  from  the  environment  of  the  growing 
life  the  things  that  may  suggest  disorder  and  impurity. 
Thus  far  we  have  not  seriously  set  ourselves  the  task  of 
filling  the  atmosphere  of  the  unfolding  life  with  things 
that  shall  suggest  holy  thoughts,  unselfish  conduct,  and 
heroic  living. 

It  is  true  that  the  ideas  and  customs  of  the  more  intelli- 
gent and  better  moralized  portion  of  the  community  have 
had  an  influence  upon  all  of  the  people.  But  it  is  true 
also  that  this  influence  has  been  almost  wholly  uncon- 
scious and  undirected,  and  so  it  has  not  achieved  the 
largest  and  longest  results.  The  time  has  come  for  the 
men  of  good  will,  in  a  community,  in  a  conscious  and 
collective  way,  to  set  about  the  work  of  creating  positive 
and  right  social  sentiments  and  social  customs.  There 
are  many  by-products  and  indirect  results  of  Christianity, 
and  these  must  not  be  overlooked.  But  we  must  con- 
sciously intend  and  deliberately  seek  to  secure  such  results 
and  effects  as  are  indicated  in  this  section. 

Here  then  is  work  for  individuals  and  groups,  for  the 
home,  the  church,  the  school,  the  community.  Here  is 
work  for  men  in  social  fellowship,  in  recreation  and 
diversion,  in  politics  and  industry,  in  all  the  relations  of 
man  with  man  in  all  the  ranges  of  social  life.  No  greater 
service  can  be  rendered  by  men  and  women  in  social  life 
than  a  clear  protest  against  the  unfit  play,  the  suggestive 
word,  the  indelicate  dress,  the  questionable  fashion.  No 
greater  service  can  be  rendered  by  parents  in  the  home 
than  the  creation  of  an  atmosphere  which  shall  give  a 
moral  and  religious  color  to  the  life.  No  greater  task 
can  be  fulfilled  by  the  state  than  that  of  creating  such 


164  Building  a  Community 


an  atmosphere  as  shall  make  it  easy  for  the  people  to  do 
right  and  shall  develop  the  life  in  purity  and  goodness. 
Let  the  church  create  a  pure  and  good  atmosphere  in 
society,  and  all  the  other  things  of  the  community  will 
take  care  of  themselves. 

In  summary  several  things  may  be  noted.  The  City  of 
God  is  a  living,  growing,  human,  divine  reality.  Our 
conceptions  of  the  City  of  God  are  too  formal,  too  static ; 
they  assume  that  the  City  of  God  is  a  fixed  thing,  where 
human  lives  have  taken  a  set  form,  where  human  wills 
are  no  longer  human.  "  The  moral  defect  of  Utopias  is 
that  they  are  too  static.  The  Kingdom  of  heaven  on 
earth  is  always  a  permanent,  unchanging,  perfect,  and 
unalterably  stupid  place,  than  which  our  present  society, 
with  all  of  its  imperfections,  is  vastly  superior.  Utopias 
break  down  because  they  represent  attainment,  fulfilment. 
Society  does  not  strive  toward  fulfilment,  but  always 
toward  striving.  It  seeks  not  a  goal  but  a  higher  starting 
point  from  which  to  seek  a  goal."  ( Weyl,  "  The  New 
Democracy,"  p.  354.) 

"The  City  of  God  is  a  great  human,  vital,  growing 
ideal.  This  gives  it  its  charm,  its  humanness,  its  divine- 
ness.  A  city  where  everything  is  fixed  and  static  holds 
no  promise  to  real  people.  After  the  first  day  in  such  a 
place  its  walls  would  have  to  be  patrolled  with  guards 
with  rifles  to  keep  us  in  it."  (Patrick,  "  The  Psychology 
of  Social  Reconstruction,"  Chapter  III.) 

The  City  of  God  is  coming,  and  man's  whole  duty  is  to 
make  it  come.  Sometime,  somewhere,  on  this  earth  of 
ours,  there  will  be  a  city  that  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term 
is  Christian.  They  who  pray  that  God's  Kingdom  may 
come  on  earth  are  not  following  a  mirage;  they  are  not 


Community  Ideals  165 

the  broken  fragments  of  a  forlorn  hope.  They  who  be- 
lieve in  the  kingdom  of  God  are  therefore  under  com- 
mission to  follow  the  divine  ideal  and  build  on  earth  a 
community  in  which  Christ  can  dwell  and  the  Son  of  God 
can  find  a  home.  The  divine  ideal  by  the  nature  of  the 
case  calls  men  to  an  unending  adventure. 

In  this  world  we  know  little  of  absolute  values ;  in  the 
universe  nothing  is  fixed  and  final.  "  The  essence  of  all 
morality  is  a  constant  striving."  Life  is  a  growth. 
Society  is  a  process.  The  City  of  God  will  always  be  in 
the  future.  Our  efforts  at  best  are  approximations.  The 
Kingdom  of  God  is  always  here,  and  yet  it  is  always  to 
come.  We  cannot,  in  this  life  at  least,  attain  the  goal  and 
reach  the  divine  standard,  but  when  we  see  and  accept 
that  standard  we  may  surely  move  in  the  way  that  leads 
us  toward  God. 

The  last  word  is  this :  the  building  of  the  Divine  City 
calls  for  a  community  spirit,  the  ability  to  think  and  plan 
together,  the  willingness  to  lose  one's  self  in  the  common 
life.  In  an  illuminating  address  Director  Burnham,  of 
the  World  Columbian  Exposition,  has  given  us  the  secret 
of  the  beauty  and  success  of  the  White  City  at  the  Chi- 
cago Fair.  The  men  who  planned  that  great  exposition 
had  a  general  scheme  for  the  Fair  and  its  buildings. 
Then  they  endeavored  to  fit  each  man's  work  into  the 
general  plan  and  to  make  the  general  plan  exalt  each 
man's  work.  Each  part  was  viewed  in  its  relation  to  the 
whole ;  and  the  whole  gave  meaning  to  each  part. 

Every  man,  artist  and  builder  agreed  that  no  private 
or  personal  interest  or  preference  should  stand  in  the  way 
of  hearty  cooperation  toward  the  common  end.  Many  a 
personal  plan  had  to  be  surrendered,  many  an  individual 


166  Building  a  Community 


wish  had  to  be  given  up  in  order  that  the  one  grand  result 
might  be  achieved.  Many  a  risk  had  to  be  run,  many  a 
sacrifice  of  time  and  money  had  to  be  made,  before  the 
supreme  triumph  was  made  sure.  But  when  the  whole 
stood  complete,  each  man's  work  was  glorified  and  all 
men  were  glad  that  they  had  wrought  for  a  common 
end. 

The  White  City  has  passed  away  and  all  that  remains 
is  a  beautiful  memory.  But  there  is  another  city  rising 
out  of  our  humanity,  the  City  of  God  in  which  the  glory 
of  God  is  to  be  revealed.  Men  are  called  to  be  citizens 
of  that  City  and  to  put  their  hand  to  the  task  of  building 
it.  That  city  will  rise  slowly  or  rapidly  in  so  far  as  men 
give  their  lives  to  this  work.  It  will  remain  a  beautiful 
dream  or  it  will  become  a  splendid  reality  as  men  sink 
their  private  and  personal  interests  in  the  larger  whole 
and  the  common  good.  May  the  men,  all  the  men  of 
each  community,  plan  and  toil  and  sacrifice, 

Till  upon  earth's  grateful  sod, 
Rests  the  City  of  our  God. 

FOR  CLASS  USE 

1.  Give  a  statement  of  your  own  community  ideal. 

2.  Discuss  community  atmosphere. 

3.  Discuss  community  sentiments. 

4.  Discuss  the  power  and  prevalence  of  community 
customs. 

5.  Indicate  some  ways  in  which  the  social  atmosphere 
of  the  community  may  be  moralized. 

6.  Make  at  least  one  constructive  suggestion  relative  to 
developing  a  right  community  spirit. 


Community  Ideals  167 


7.  References :  Jones,  "  Spiritual  Law  in  the  Social 
World";  Batten,  "The  Social  Task  of  Christianity," 
Chapter  V;  Ross,  "Social  Control";  Sidis,  "The  Psy- 
chology of  Suggestion  " ;  Robinson,  "  The  Improvement 
of  Towns  and  Cities  ";  Ellwood,  Introduction  to  "  Social 
Psychology  " ;  Ward  and  Edwards,  "  Christianizing  Com- 
munity Life." 


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